I f you attend an East Brunswick High School boys or girls swimming meet, don’t expect to see too many Bears capture first place in the various events. But there are a lot of seconds, thirds and fourths, enough that both teams sport winning records as they head into the final weeks of the season.
The girls have registered a 7-2 mark while the boys are currently 6-4. Ask head coach Jeff Sundberg about the records, and he speaks in glowing terms of their accomplishment.
“This is a group of athletes with high character who have been able to achieve a great deal of success in the pool,” he said. “Coach [Bill] Pellegrino [assistant] and I have enjoyed the swimmers’enthusiasm and sense of team, and that has made this a fun season. The swimmers are a close-knit group that enjoy their time together, whether it’s practice or meets.”
The boys have been led by senior Trevor Endler, juniors Johan Higgins and Anthony Steenvoorden and sophomore Greg James, all of whomhave led the team in point scoring. Astrong senior boys class includes Matt Cotov, Jake Cotov, Endler and Dan Zavoda. The Bears have also received contributions from a deep and talented freshman contingent, which means EBHS can look forward to future success.
The boys finished third in the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division behind perennial power St. Joseph of Metuchen and a strong South Brunswick team.
The girls made history by becoming the first East Brunswick team to win the Red Division with an unbeaten record. The Bears have been led by sophomores Tori Glascock (individual medley and butterfly), Colleen Dwyer (sprint freestyle), Liane Emerson (freestyle, fly) and Sahar Hillel (backstroke and distance freestyle). Hillel set the girls’ team record for the 100 backstroke with a 1:04.99 against South Brunswick.
The seniors have been productive with contributions from Shannon Carney, Stephanie Hichens, Wendy Niu, Claire Rhee, Valerie Rugulo and Erika Sha.
Sundberg says an example of how much progress both teams have made this season was their fifth-place finishes in the Pirate Invitational on Jan. 14, a meet that brings together some of the top teams in the state. The 200 medley relay team of James, Endler, Jake Cotov and Higgins placed third, while James finished third in the 100 backstroke. Endler managed a third in the 100 breaststroke, and Steenvoorden earned a sixth place in the 100 breaststroke. The girls placed fifth in the three relay races, and Glascock placed fourth in the 100 fly.
East Brunswick closes out the regular season with a meet against Hillsborough on Tuesday and Manalapan this afternoon. The teams will also compete in the GMC meet on Feb. 4 and the state team meet on Feb. 9.