Foley, Orzechowski lead swim teams at Old Bridge

OLD BRIDGE

By WARREN RAPPLEYEA
Correspondent

Courtney Foley and Drew Orzechowski will both seek to repeat as Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) champions in their respective events as they lead Old Bridge High School’s swim teams into action this winter.

Foley is a two-time GMC champion in both the 200-meter freestyle and the 100- meter backstroke, and she holds conference record times in each event. The University of Binghamton-bound senior’s time in the 200 is 1:56.23, and her backstroke time is 58.53. She finished second in both events at the GMC Championship as a freshman.

Orzechowski is the reigning champion in the boys individual medley. The senior, who plans to swim in college, is a strong allaround performer. Coach Bob Weiss uses Orzechowski in a variety of relay events, as well as in the backstroke and breaststroke.

“They’re two top-notch swimmers,” Weiss said of the pair, who also compete for the Freehold-Old Bridge YMCA. “They can compete in almost any event, and having county champions on your team is always a plus.”

Orzechowski has helped lead Old Bridge’s boys to a 3-1 mark, with wins over Metuchen High School, North Brunswick Township High School and Colts Neck High School. He has received plenty of help from a strong supporting cast of seniors and juniors that helped Weiss’ team to a third-place finish in the GMC Championships a year ago.

Jonathan Korabelnikov, P.J. Driscoll, Steven Rocco and John Rosalie all pick up points for the Knights in freestyle events. Korabelnikov and Rosalie also compete in the backstroke. Senior Geoffrey Golden gives Old Bridge a reliable presence in distance freestyle races. Juniors Russell Azzarello and Nick Colatrella handle backstroke and butterfly events, as well as freestyle sprints.

“This is a mature and versatile group of swimmers, and I can pretty much plug them in where we need them,” the coach said. “They learned a lot last season, and it’s paying off now.”

Old Bridge’s girls team is just 1-4, with the victory coming against Mother Seton Regional High School, but the Lady Knights are breaking several newcomers into the lineup. Foley competes wherever she is needed depending on the meet.

Two other swimmers from the Freehold- Old Bridge YMCA — juniors Jessica Charitun and Chloe Jowick — are also key performers. Charitun primarily handles freestyle events, while Jowick competes in the individual medley.

Other members of the team include senior freestyle competitors Savannah Moley and Amy Ryan, as well as Jen Meraglia, who specializes in the breaststroke and individual medley. Junior Jillian Bress has performed in distance freestyle races.

Four sophomores are also showing promise, the coach noted. Emily Cohen, Michelle Frantino and Brooke Weber are freestyle sprinters. Weiss also employs Cohen in the butterfly and Frantino in the backstroke. Tara Little has done well in distance competitions.

“We have a lot of talented swimmers, and we’re starting to get more of them out of the local YMCA program,” Weiss said. “That’s good for the future of the program.”

Prior to the GMC Championships, Old Bridge has meets remaining against Piscataway Township High School, Sayreville War Memorial High School, East Brunswick High School and Bishop George Ahr High School. The boys will also go up against St. Joseph High School of Metuchen.