BY WARREN RAPPLEYEA
Staff Writer
The Sayreville High School swim team owns a 4-4 record heading into the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) championships on Saturday at Princeton University.
The Bombers have doubled their victory total from last season, with one dual meet remaining on Monday against Mother Seton. Coach Sarah Rodis-Magaw’s team has posted victories against Rahway, Linden, Franklin and Ranney Prep.
Sayreville heads into the GMCs with several swimmers looking to make their marks. Sophomore Alex Ratajczyk is seeded second in both the 50- and 100-meter freestyle events. Rachel Lutz, also a sophomore, is seeded third in the 200-meter butterfly, and freshman Shannon McKenna is seeded third in the 500-meter freestyle and seventh in the 200-meter freestyle.
“We’re just looking to do as well as we can at the GMC meet,” the coach said. “At this point in the season we’re looking to post our fastest times and, hopefully, bring home some medals.”
Though the Bombers are at the .500 mark, this has been a turnaround season. In recent years Sayreville has struggled and its numbers were dwindling. This winter 43 swimmers came out for the team, and the future is bright since only two seniors, Lindsay Link and Cara Iannacone, will be lost to graduation.
The coach credited both seniors for their leadership during meets and especially during practice sessions, noting that their work ethic has rubbed off on the other members of the team. Assistant coach Peter Gibbs has also played a key role in the team’s turnaround.
“Swimming is becoming very popular throughout the county, and the teams are getting more and more competitive,” Rodis-Magaw said. “We were very pleased with our numbers and I’m hoping to see continued interest going forward. The swimmers we have this year have just worked so hard to improve, and they’re seeing the results.”
Other key competitors for the Bombers include juniors Ryan Behr, who competes in the shorter speed events, and Justin Calamari, who competes in the individual medley and breast stroke. John Mellilo and Dara Zaleski are the distance freestyle competitors. Sophomores Nicolle Pellegrino, Dana Quinn and Rob Masterson have all performed well while competing in a variety of events.
“We want to end the season strong and set the stage for next year,” the coach said. “We have a lot to look forward to.”