By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Rabia Sayed was inspired to swim well in her final Pirate Invitational, and she delivered.
The senior swam a personal best in the 500 freestyle and nearly matched another top time in the 200 free while placing second in both events to help host the West Windsor-Plainsboro High South girls team place third, edged out of second by Pennsbury by a point and a half. The South boys placed second behind Pennsbury.
”From freshman year, not really understanding what it was and what it meant to the team, you learn it’s a really big part of the team and something we’re really proud of,” Sayed said. “It becomes more of a team thing. We were fourth last year. We were third. We realized we were in contention. We knew we were close. We started to push everyone to try to beat the person next to them.”
Sayed finished the 500 free in 5:07.80 to edge ever closer to the school record 5:05 that is motivation enough. She didn’t have trouble finding motivation at the Pirate. Despite not being tapered for her Peddie Aquatics club team or WW-P South, she was able to summon a best.
”High school swimming compared to club swimming is a different environment,” Sayed said. “It’s a combination of having your teammates there cheering and being a home meet, it helps push you.”
The Pirates needed a push after one of their toughest weeks of training. They spent a week in Coral Springs, Fla., and returned just prior to the Pirate.
”It was really exciting,” Sayed said. “We got to spend the last week together in Florida. Training together every day twice a day was really good bonding. The Pirate was the perfect time to showcase that hard work and I think it paid off.”
Kurt VonAutenried was the lone winner from either team. He won the 100 butterfly in 54.66 seconds to help spur the boys to a runner-up finish in what’s shaping up to be a terrific year.
”I feel good for both boys and girls,” said WW-P South head coach Anthony Bartolone. “We took the trip and seeing what they could do at this meet after being drained at this trip was nice. Our goal is to do as good as we can at counties. The boys want it. They’re going to go as far as they can.”
Sayed and the girls are also eyeing the chance to win the county and make it a potential South sweep. Sayed heads into the final two months of her high school career after impressive performances at the Pirate.
”The 500 free, that was my best time,” she said. “I was really happy with that time. The 2 free, I was happy too. It was not a best, but it was pretty close. It was within a second. It was just as a fast as I swam at a big club meet a couple weeks ago so I was happy with that.”
The Florida trip helped to condition the Pirates and it showed up in the big meet despite the week of double sessions also being tough on them.
”We went into it really excited,” Sayed said of the Florida trip. “Having that week to train and not having to worry about school or anything else, you can worry about the swimming part of it and put your all in. We swam long course in morning and short course at night. At night, everyone was exhausted and wanted to go to sleep. And we got to go to the beach and got to go to the Everglades.”
They returned home tired from training, but fitter than when they left. Bartolone was happy to see that translate in the pool.
”That was part of the motivation,” he said. “The kids that were working hard on the trip had some serious time drops. I had a couple kids drop two or three seconds in 100 free which is incredible. Our free and IM was faster than usual.”
It had to be with another talented field coming to WW-P South’s “Bubble” home. This year’s field included: Metuchen, St. Joe’s, St. Benedict’s, Pennsbury, Hunterdon Central, East Brunswick, West Windsor-Plainsboro North, Southern Regional and Bishop Ahr.
”It was excellent competition,” Bartolone said. “That’s part of the reason we do it. We swim against teams we don’t normally get to swim and motivates them to go faster. For some of them, it shows there’s always someone faster.”
WW-P South responded well to the challenges. They will try to keep their momentum going against Lawrenceville this week before returning to Colonial Valley Conference competition. This year’s team has a solid mix of talent and depth.
”We have our stars in their events,” Sayed said. “When we don’t have someone, everyone steps up. Our depth is something that has picked up. Our high school swimmers have taken steps to place in their events. The depth has definitely improved.”
Sayed is trying her best to be a leader in the pool. Her versatility helps the Pirate girls.
”I can put her in anything,” Bartolone said. “I can put her in IM or fly. She was our best choice for the 5 free. I looked at the competition and what we had in other events and I decided to put her in the 2 free too.
”She’s been phenomenal. She’s a really hard worker. You can tell when she swims that she wants it. She wants to improve her times and she always does.”
Sayed will take her skills to Johns Hopkins University next year. She will swim for their women’s team.
”They’ve improved a lot in the past few years,” Sayed said. “I know they’re one of the top girls teams in Division 3 swimming. I’m really excited to be a part of that. I’m excited to work there and help contribute the team.”
She is trying to enjoy her final meets with WW-P South. The Pirate was one of those special ones, and even after returning home worn down from training hard, she had no trouble producing some top swims.
”At the Pirate, it’s traditional,” Sayed said. “It’s always been a big exciting moment for the team. You have to get up for your team.”
