ROBBINSVILLE: Raven swimmers post big win

Johnson helps top Hopewell

By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
Taylor Johnson’s presence has helped raise Robbinsville High School’s co-ed swim team to new heights, but the Ravens needed their whole team for one of the biggest wins in program history.
Johnson won the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle races in a head-to-head match with one of her good friends from her Eastern Express club team as the Ravens squeezed out an 87-83 win over Hopewell Valley last week.
”It was big for us,” said Johnson, a sophomore. “It was a small margin by how much we won, but it was a pretty big feat for our team.”
Rohan Bajaj, Nicole Wohn and Mark Dawes swept the 200 freestyle, Ahmed Bahgat won the 50 free, Dan Quiroga won the 100 back and was second in the 100 butterfly, Jonathan Sanders and Michael Filipek went 2-3, Bajaj was third in the 500 free and Austin Roberts was second in the 100 back. Dawes, Johnson, Sanders and Wohn were second in the 400 free relay and the Ravens also took third.
”It’s definitely helped our team attitude towards swimming,” Johnson said. “Last year, we didn’t really win that much. Now we’re realizing we can be competitive.”
The Ravens won the meet when Hopewell’s Paige Anderson, the Bulldogs’ top girl, was disqualified for being entered into a third individual event. Swimmers are only permitted to enter two individual events, and Johnson beat her Eastern Express teammate in their two head-to-head swims.
”I was nervous,” Johnson said. “I knew Paige was swimming both of my events and she’s a really good swimmer. I knew it would be close.”
The two wouldn’t normally go all out against each other, and they did seem to glide along together before Johnson pulled ahead at the end of the 500 freestyle. But their first event of the day, the individual medley, was a different story.
”In the IM, our competitiveness kicked in,” Johnson said. “We swim against each other a lot. Usually she’ll beat me in the 500 or backstroke event, but if it’s IM, I can take her in that.”
Johnson confirmed that though she was swimming against one of her best friends, she felt some pressure to win to help the Ravens to their second team victory of the season.
”Absolutely,” she said. “I don’t want to let them down.”
Robbinsville had previously beaten Nottingham, but that was nearly a month ago. The win over Hopewell was even bigger for the budding Ravens squad.
”It was pretty awesome,” said head coach Pam Owens. “I went in thinking we had a chance. I went in trying to give my best lineup. I had talked to my team, told them we were going to power point the meet. I wanted to swim my top lineup and wanted them to be mentally prepared for it. We had great expectations going into the meet.”
Power pointing is a new concept for most of the Ravens team. Even Johnson, who understands well the meaning behind the power points, finds it hard to believe that Robbinsville has a chance at a state tournament berth if it can power point high enough.
”It’s unreal,” Johnson said. “We’re all pretty motivated. Once we heard that we’re at that level. We know what we want to get, and we’ll get there.”
The Ravens didn’t even consider the idea last season, but by the end of the year when they saw the state tournament qualifiers, they started to believe it could happen.
”We have a lot more swimmers this year,” Johnson said. “A lot of the freshmen are really good. We’re adding depth to our team and getting better.”
As the improvement comes, the power points increase and give the Ravens the chance at states that they never even considered.
”Last year, there was a team that got in against Princeton that had a score of about 1,800,” Owens said. “They got knocked out in the first round. But I want to give these guys the opportunity to go in against either Princeton or Notre Dame and be in states.
”I don’t know if we’ll get in, but we’re trying to tell them about the power points. I just want them to know what everyone else does. I go to other meets and that’s the buzz in the stands.”
The Colonial Valley Conference teams are starting to gear up for the Mercer County Championships that are two weeks away. Johnson made a significant impact last year, finishing second in the 400 free and third in the 200 IM. This year, the goals are higher for her and the team.
”At counties, I’m really hoping our girls relay for the 400 free will make the state cut,” Johnson said. “It’s there. We can make it. And I’d obviously like to make states again.”
Johnson, who swims the mile and the 400 IM on the club circuit, will focus again on the 400 free and 200 IM at the MCC, but in the regular season the Ravens can use here in a number of ways.
”Taylor is a sophomore and I think she’s going to be an asset to the team all four years,” Owens said. “She’s going to grow and mature and keep helping this team build in so many ways.
”Her best events are the 2 IM and the 500. She’s definitely a 100 flier, and she can do 100 back. We can use her wherever.”
Johnson doesn’t mind where she swims. Though she’s been a competitive club swimmer since she was 9, she’s found something unique about swimming for her high school team even if she doesn’t always have her fastest races with it.
”Club swimming is more individual based,” Johnson said. “I like being a part of a team and knowing you matter to the outcome of your team. It’s a really good experience.
”I was nervous my freshman year. I didn’t know many people. They welcomed me and it was good. It’s the same for the incoming freshman now. We’re trying to make them welcome.”
Using their strong swims to help earn another win certainly has the Ravens feeling good. Progress continues as they build on the momentum of one of their biggest wins in program history.
”We put an awesome lineup together,” Owens said. “Their hearts were in it. They had trained for the meet, that’s what was exciting for them. They deserved the win.”