By Bob Nuse, The Packet Group
Joe Keintz has made impressive strides in the swimming pool in the last year.
”Last year was my first year back swimming and I only qualified for the (South Jersey Interscholastic Swimming Association) meet in one event,” the Northern Burlington High senior said. “This year I’ve qualified in four events, so I am pretty happy about that.”
After qualifying in just the 50 freestyle last year, Keintz has added three relays to his list of events for this year’s meet. He will also be in the 200 medley relay, 200 free relay and 400 free relay.
Keintz is one of several Greyhound swimmers to qualify for the SJISA meet during a season in which the team has made solid improvement. Brian Perez, Greta Van Veldhuisen, Danielle Caruso, Logan Barnes and Tori Barnes all qualified as individuals, while just missing the cutoff for individual events, but still swimming in the relays, are Cameron Goetz, Bryan Runyon, Tara Flynn, Gloria Goldman, Erik Koetas and Tim Mansure.
”We’re doing much better this year than we did last year,” Keintz said. “We have a couple more wins than we did last year and we have a bunch of people who qualified for the South Jersey meet.”
Keintz had been a swimmer when he was younger with the South Jersey Storm, but had been running cross country for Northern Burlington and had not thought about swimming again until last year.
”My friend Gloria (Goodman) is on the team and she convinced me to do it,” Keintz said. “We ran cross country together. I had always thought it would be too much trying to do another sport. But I’m glad that I did it. We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores in the program and we’ve made a lot of improvement.”
The Greyhounds have won three meets this year under first-year head coach Megan Harrison. Having some young swimmers, as well as older swimmers like Keintz back in the pool, has helped move the program forward.
”Northern swimming is getting a bit more attention this year and this not only makes the coaches feel good, but makes the kids on the team feel good,” Harrison said. “The scores this year have been closer then they ever have been and it seems as though we are surprising the other teams with some good competition. Other coaches, officials, parents, and even opponents have complimented our team on the tremendous improvements they have made over this past year. We, as coaches, look forward to what is to come next year. It can only get better from here.”
Keintz hopes to do well later this month at the South Jersey meet. And beyond that perhaps swim some intramurals in college.
”I had not really been swimming since I was 10 before Gloria pushed me into it,” Keintz said. “It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve improved as a team.”
The Greyhounds also have been bonding as a team through some community service projects. Earlier this month they held a Swim-a-thon sponsored by USA Swimming in which the swimmers raised money based on whether or not they could swim 200 laps. The swim team raised over $1,500, a portion of which will be donated to Special Olympics, as well as Burlington County Special Services, which opens their doors to us to ensure the team has a place to practice.

