Justin Feil

By: centraljersey.com
Alexia Hynes enjoyed her first chance to represent Allentown High School as a swimmer at the Mercer County Championships last year.
The Redbirds senior was thrilled to get another opportunity a little earlier this season when she was one of four AHS students to swim at the Pirate Invitational at West Windsor-Plainsboro South on Saturday. She teamed up with junior Delaney Bader and sophomores Samantha Hynes and Taylor Owens to help Allentown win one of the two relays they swam together and place fifth out of six teams overall with just their fearsome foursome.
"It’s awesome," Alexia said. "All four of us have become so close through this. It’s a really good opportunity for all of us really.
"When my sister and I found out we were invited, we were freaking out. We were honored to be noticed. We really appreciated being invited. We had so much fun going there. It was exciting."
The Redbirds stood out in the high-energy atmosphere that could drown out a contingent of just four that is all AHS had to represent itself. They won the 200 freestyle relay in a Meet of Champions qualifying time of 1:44.87.
"We have a small team, but our results definitely scream louder than we did," Hynes said. "We couldn’t believe we won it. We looked up and we were so excited."
They also placed second in the 200 medley relay and just missed another MOC qualifying time by two-tenths of a second. Sam Hynes was fourth in the 200 free, Bader placed second and Alexia Hynes fourth in the 50 free, Bader captured second in the 100 free and Sam Hynes took second in the 100 breaststroke. Both Sam Hynes and Bader made two state cuts.
"This is awesome for them," said Pam Owens, Taylor’s mother and the Robbinsville High School swim head coach who, as an AHS employee and field hockey assistant has acted as the Redbirds swim coach as well. "They usually only get to swim at counties together. Paul Hamnett (of WW-P South) was wonderful allowing these four girls to swim. They have the ability to swim together and make cuts at a high school regulation meet. Their next meet will be counties."
There, the Redbirds quartet will become a quintet with the addition of Jillian Galindo. Galindo will help Allentown by swimming some of the distance events, giving the Redbirds the chance to cover all the events individually. They still will be able to cover only two relays.
"That’s what we’re trying to do," Alexia said. "We’re trying to spread it out so we can get more points for Allentown.
"We’re just really excited," she added. "I feel like we have so much more to give. We didn’t even hit our best times. We’re really excited about what could happen at counties and what we’re capable of doing."
Hynes has never met Galindo, an AHS freshman, but is looking forward to teaming up with her. Before last year’s county meet, Hynes didn’t know Taylor Owens more than as club swimming competitors and before the Pirate meet the foursome hadn’t swum together since last year’s county meet.
"We were together for eight hours the other day," Alexia said. "You get to know each other quickly."
Alexia credits knowing Bader for so long for helping get her into the sport. Last year, they swam individual events at the Meet of Champions. And when Alexia went into swimming, younger sister Sam wanted to follow.
"I’ve known Delaney forever," Alexia said. "I used to play softball my whole life. She actually got me into swimming. I might not even be swimming without Delaney. We played softball together, and she said, you should try swimming. I went with her to practice and adapted to it pretty quickly."
Until last year, the Alexia and Bader went to Notre Dame together, and they had represented the Irish at first before transferring and swimming for AHS last year. Alexia has plenty of motivation in her final high school season for better times individually at the county meet.
"I’m definitely going to train hard for the next two weeks," said Alexia, who wasn’t happy despite her consolation heat win in the 100 butterfly at the Pirate. "There’s a lot of competition. You have to step it up."
AHS does not have a history of swimming in the county meet outside of a few individuals here and there. Tania Sequeira, now a sophomore swimmer for Ithaca College’s unbeaten women’s team, competed as an individual before the quartet came along.
"They’re all club swimmers," Owens said. "They have to train with their club teams and come together with these meets. Last year was the first year they were ever able to enter a relay."
Alexia and Sam Hynes have been swimming for the Freehold YMCA team, Bader competes for Tiger Aquatics in Princeton and Taylor Owens swims for Peddie Aquatics in Hightstown. But for a couple meets this year, they will come together to swim for AHS.
Said Alexia: "It’s definitely gotten us a lot closer. I’d seen them around (club) meets and we’d wave. I’ve gotten to know them on a personal level. It feels like a team. Small team, big results."
The Redbirds are expecting bigger results this season. They finished sixth at the Mercer County meet last year despite a disqualified relay and Owens not swimming any individual events due to strep throat. Next month, they will bring five motivated swimmers looking to make Allentown swimming a prominent name.
"We’ve trained harder than ever and we’re really excited about what we could accomplish," Alexia said. "Last year, we came in with no expectations and this year we know what we’re capable of."