ALLENTOWN: Bader, Redbird swimmers make Meet of Champions

By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
   Delaney Bader is looking forward to her third trip to the Meet of Champions.
   Each year has been a little different for Bader, now a junior at Allentown High School. In her first trip, she was a freshman swimming for Notre Dame High as she anchored the 10th place 200 free and 19th place 400 free relays.
   Last year, Bader’s first at Allentown, she moved on as an individual. She swam to 20th in the 50 freestyle and 23rd in the 100 free. Alexia Hynes, an AHS senior who came with her from Notre Dame, was 40th in the 100 butterfly.
   This year, the Redbirds made sure they will advance as a team, as the quartet of Bader, Hynes, Samantha Hynes and Taylor Owens finished second in the 200 medley relay in 2:07.53 and second in the 200 free relay in 1:54.15 at he Mercer County Championships on Saturday at Lawrence High. Both are qualifying times that will send Bader back to the Meet of Champions with a team this year.
   ”It’s a lot better,” said Bader, who also swam to second in the 100 free and sixth in the 200 free at the Mercer County meet. “It’s really important and it’s nice to have the girls behind you and support you the whole way. They’re all there to cheer you on for your individual events and cheer you on the whole time.
   ”We stepped it up at finals,” she added. “We’re happy we made those times.”
   The strong relay finishes helped the Redbirds finish fifth in the team standings, though they had just five girls to make up their team. Jillian Galindo swam the distance events in her first trip to the counties.
   ”We wanted to try to spread ourselves out to get the most points we could,” Bader said. “It helped to have Jillian. She covered the events that we wouldn’t have been able to if she wasn’t there.”
   Sam Hynes was second in the 100 breaststroke and third behind Bader in the 100 free. Alexia Hynes finished third in the 50 free in her final county meet.
   ”We’re really proud of how everyone swam as team,” Bader said, “especially our relays. We’re happy with how swam in both. Personally, wish I could have done better.”
   Bader had hoped for a higher finish in the 200 freestyle, but her focus individually was on the 100 free. And she was coming off a strong swim in the medley relay.
   ”We wanted to go into the medley and try to take some time off to make the state cut,” Bader said. “We were excited for the 200 free. We were hoping to go for it. We won it at the Pirate (Invitational). We gave it a run for it.”
   Only team champion West Windsor-Plainsboro South beat the Redbirds in the 200 free, by less than a second. WW-P South also won the 200 medley. Continuing the theme, Bader lost the 100 free when she was edged by WW-P South’s Cori Michibata.
   ”Cori just touched me out,” Bader said. “It was a good race. I’m happy with it. I did the best I could do.”
   Bader and the Redbirds enjoyed the competitive environment at counties. Bader is a veteran of them, and always finds motivation to be at her best there. Each year, it’s a chance to show progress.
   ”Time wise, I’ve been improving,” she said. “With new girls coming in, they’re all so fast, it’s hard to keep improving place wise. I’m trying.”
   Bader now is turning her sights to the Meet of Champions, another big stage to show her development.
   ”Personally, I’m excited to swim the 50 and 100 and improve my time and make better cuts,” Bader said. “I’m sure we’re excited to go for the relays. It’s the first time we get to go as a team.”
   Bader will continue to train with her club team, Princeton Tiger Aquatics, in preparation for the end of the year meet. That will be the next time that the Allentown group teams up, and they’ll turn their focus to making a splash at the MOC. The Redbirds haven’t started looking that far ahead yet.
   ”We were all kind of caught up in the excitement that we made the state times,” Bader said. “We weren’t talking about times or goals or anything.”
   There was plenty to celebrate for Delaney Bader and the Redbirds, who delivered their strongest showing yet at the county meet to set up a trip to the MOC, the first for Bader with a team in two years.
   ”I definitely feel we’re all improving,” Bader said. “We’re working as hard as we can with our club teams. Next year, there’s talk of joining with Robbinsville. That’ll help even more. We’re looking forward to that.”