Senior breaks record on way to three golds
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Kara Dubiel tried not to think about the Skyland Conference Championships in the hours before it started Friday.
The Montgomery High School senior had been told by head coach Claire Scarpa that the Cougar girls had a chance to win.
”I wasn’t sure before the meet,” Dubiel said. “We did pretty well at counties, but we weren’t sure. Coach Scarpa came up to me in school and said, ‘We can win this meet. We just have to finish where we did at counties.’”
Dubiel tried not to worry about the meet.
”I know all day I was getting nervous,” she said. “I did the same thing I do before every meet. I went home and prepared myself. When I don’t think about it, I do better.”
It’s hard to imagine Dubiel producing better results than she did Friday. Her day began with her winning the 200 freestyle in record-breaking fashion with a 1:55.69, a time that topped the existing meet and school records.
”She just wanted to win,” said Scarpa. “She went out and swam her best. She wanted that conference champion title and she went out and got it.
”She didn’t let anyone near her in the county, but this was not an easy race. She got the pool record and school record. She’s been going after it for a long time.”
Dubiel beat meet record holder Liz Floyd of Mount St. Mary for the win, and broke one of the oldest standing MHS school records, that of 2004 graduate Katie Morrison.
Her accomplishments weren’t done then. She also won the 500 free, something that she hadn’t been able to do at the Somerset County Championships two weeks ago. She came back in the next event to swim a leg for the winning 200 free relay which set yet another record, 1:38.66. And she finished her day with a leg on the second-place 400 free relay as the Cougars sewed up their second conference crown in four years.
Kara Dubiel is the Princeton Packet Athlete of the Week.
”Going into it, we wanted to win,” Dubiel said. “It was our last conference meet. I just thought it pumped everyone up. The thought that we could win pumped everyone up.”
Dubiel showed plenty of extra motivation as she picked up the lone new win for the Cougars vs. their showing at the county championships. While she had won the 200 free, she hadn’t been able to take the 500 free at the county meet.
”Her goal this time was to stick with Mary deMarrais,” Scarpa said. “At counties, she went out too fast. The plan was to just go out and stay with Mary. Mary dives in and loses her goggles.”
Scarpa and Dubiel’s father spent the next few laps trying to get Dubiel’s attention from poolside to tell her to adjust her strategy. Dubiel figured it out to win in 5:14.50.
”I wasn’t expecting to win that at all,” Dubiel said. “Going in, I wanted to stay with Mary deMarrais. She has gone the time I wanted to do. I wanted to pace myself better. At the county meet, I took it out a little fast and I got tired at the end. I didn’t know her goggles were off, but then I saw Silke (Herold of Hunterdon Central) ahead and I tried to catch up with her.
”Once I realized Mary wasn’t picking up the pace as fast as we should be going, I figured there must be something wrong. I did see my dad jumping up and down on deck.”
The excitement grew with the relay win. Dubiel combined with Gwen Comollo, Courtney Raw and Megan Lydzinski for the victory.
”The 2 free, that was exciting,” Dubiel said. “It was the first time we went after it this year. We almost got an All-American cut and we got the school record and meet record. That got us pumped up.”
Dubiel was still flying high when she jumped in to help the Cougars wrap up the meet with the 400 free relay.
”In the 4, I wasn’t expecting us to do that well,” she said. “Megan and Courtney weren’t in it, and we got second anyway.
”I wasn’t thinking of it going that way,” she added. “Winning and everything going that way, it made it better.”
Montgomery High is the No. 3 seed in the North Jersey 2, A Division. They open 3 p.m. today by hosting No. 6 North Brunswick. The Cougars are feeling good about their chances, though they are seeded below both No. 1 Bridgewater-Raritan and No. 2 Westfield, whom they would face Monday.
”I definitely think it’s even better we’re not the first seed,” Dubiel said. “It fuels us to try harder and it’ll be better if we win. I feel like we know we can beat Bridgewater because we already did, and they tied Westfield so we feel we can beat them. I’m really confident about our team this year being able to win sectionals.”
Dubiel will try to relax and not think about the upcoming showdowns in the state tournament. But before she joins the Maine women’s swimming team next fall, Dubiel will have plenty of good memories from her final scholastic season with the Cougars.
”I have to say this year has been one of the most memorable years,” Dubiel said. “We’re really strong. Everyone pushes each other. When we won conferences as a freshman, it wasn’t as good. I had just come back from (gall bladder) surgery before conferences, so I didn’t help as much.
”It’s nice to win so much this year, especially since it’s my senior year. It’ll be a good year to remember.”

