Cougars set for showdown with Bridgewater
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Anna Marshall is looking forward to the biggest challenge yet for the Montgomery High School girls swim team.
The Cougars host Bridgewater-Raritan today in a battle of unbeatens.
”It’s good to have some competition,” said Marshall, a freshman. “It makes it more team work and more interesting when there’s someone to race against.”
And with some good competition to push them, it’s a good thing that the Cougars have yet to post all the records that have been broken this season after just four meets. Three individual and two relay records have already been wiped out, and the three individual marks are all held by freshmen now.
”The freshmen that came in, we have a lot of depth and talent there,” said MHS head coach Claire Scarpa, whose team improved to 4-0 with a 124-46 win over North Hunterdon on Thursday. “I knew about most of them.”
They have been even more impressive than billed in the early going. Marshall already holds the 100 breaststroke record and is a part of the record-setting 200 medley relay team. Her classmate, Megan Lydzinski, has two sprint records and anchors the 400 free relay that could decide today’s meet. They are just two of the freshmen that have boosted the Cougars this season.
”In eighth grade, I heard they were pretty good,” Marshall said. “I knew there were some seniors leaving. I knew we could take their place and make them better.
”My friend Megan Lydzinski and Sophia Noisten, they swim with me on X-Cel,” she added. “Coach Scarpa knew us and had a good feeling we’d help the team out. So far, it seems like we have done that.”
Noisten, a distance swimmer, is the younger sister of Laura Noisten, who teams up with Marshall in the breaststroke this year. Marshall’s addition has raised Scarpa’s confidence in the lineup, and the older swimmers have welcomed the newcomers with open arms.
”We have a lot more depth than we’ve had in the past,” Scarpa said. “I have more play within my roster. I can move people around not worry as much about where I’m moving people.”
Marshall has been a steady contributor in the individual medley as well as the breaststroke. She also bolsters the relays potential.
”Having her in the medley relay helps a lot,” Scarpa said. “I’m confident with her in the breaststroke. She brings in points in the IM, which is usually one of my weaker events. In the breaststroke, she brings a lot more depth. Having Anna in addition to Laura Noisten makes the breaststroke one of our strongest events.”
Marshall is hoping that today presents a good opportunity to reset her record. She’s been lowering her times throughout the season.
”I have the 100 breast record now,” Marshall said. “I’m trying to beat that. It makes me more motivated. It’s fun to look up and see that you got the record.”
So far, the Cougars haven’t been seriously challenged. They beat perennially strong Mountain Lakes by almost 40 points. MHS knows it won’t be that easy today.
”It’s going to be a big meet,” Marshall said. “There’s a lot of (Somerset Valley YMCA club) swimmers on Bridgewater. It’s going to be a tough meet, but I think we can pull it off.
”We are a good team together. Everything’s going well. Our coach Scarpa is really helpful and gives us lots of good pointers.”
MHS had its earlier meet canceled against West Windsor-Plainsboro South, and Bridgewater topped the Pirates in the season opener. Now it’s the Cougars chance to see if they can knock off Bridgewater.
”It means a lot,” Scarpa said. “We expect to give them a run for their money. We’re hoping to beat them. I think it’ll be a very close and exciting meet.
”We’re going to have to get the relays. They’re going to be close. I think we can win the medley and the 400 free. I have Gwen Comollo anchoring the medley and she doesn’t like to lose. And I have Megan anchoring the 400 free with Courtney Raw, Kara Dubiel and Gwen. I’m interested to see what they can do.”
So is Marshall. A win today would give Montgomery a jump on Central Jersey A Division and would give her some bragging rights at club practice.
”It would be really good if we could beat them,” Marshall said. “That would mean we’re better than West Windsor South. They’re also good. They have a lot of my X-Cel friends on it. If we could beat them, it’d be great.”
Everything has been great so far for Marshall and the Cougars. It’s just what she imagined her high school experience to be.
”It’s been good,” Marshall said. “All the girls are really nice. We have a lot of fun together. It’s been a great experience so far.”
It could get even better for the Montgomery girls with a win over Bridgewater-Raritan today.

