With so much success in the past few seasons, the Riptide Swim Team had no reason to look for a youth movement, but after next week’s YMCA Nationals, it may not have a choice.
The national championships in Charlotte, N.C., which will be held April 10-14, will mark the departure of graduating seniors Kyle King, Nicole Alicino, Mark Rynone and Laura Kuczynski, who have led the team to two relay national titles and a team-record fifth-place overall finish in last year’s competition.
As the team, which is affiliated with the Raritan Valley YMCA in East Brunswick, readies itself for its season-ending meet, head coach Michael Heidelberg looks toward the future.
"Even though we are going to be losing some championship-level swimmers to college, swimmers that have really been the heart and soul of the team, we have a core of young, up-and-coming swimmers ready to make their mark," he said.
In fact, this young core of swimmers already has. In Charlotte, sophomore Amy Wolf looks to continue her stellar season, trying to improve on her sixth-place finish in the 200 breaststroke at last year’s nationals, while 15-year-old Ryan Martinetti, who finished sixth in last year’s 100 butterfly, goes for a new team record. Freshman Julie Rose had a breakout year, winning the 100 back at the Greater Middlesex Conference Championships, while another freshman, Nina Malanga, finished second in the 50 free.
Even the 14-year-olds, A.J. Albert, Isaac Reyes, and Katie Templeton, who placed in the junior category last year, are hoping to contribute.
"I just want to score some points to help the team, but I know it will be hard swimming against older and bigger kids." Reyes said .
Even with the younger swimmers accounting for the majority of the 46-member National Team, the senior swimmers will still account for the most points. This year, Kyle King looks to go home with three individual national titles, seeded first in the 50 freestyle, and within striking distance in the 100 and 200 freestyle races as well. The senior boys’ relays, consisting of King, Mark Rynone, Ryan Martinetti, Ryan Tighe, Thomas Nawrot, Joel Maietta, Danny Cahaillane and Rob Gross, look to defend their 200 and 400 freestyle national titles, although the competition looks tough. They face American record-holder Brandon Lovell and the Dolphins from Lexington, Ky., as well as former national title holders from New York, North Dakota, North Carolina and Massachusetts.
On the girls’ side, Ava Kiss (100 free) and Nicole Alicino (200 free) lead an experienced group that includes former top-25 finishers Erin Mullins (200 fly), Jaclyn Barton (100 back), Laura Kuczynski (200 fly), Danielle Eige (100 breast), and Nicole Karalevich (500 free). In the 13-and-under competition, Travis Catania, Jenny Zavoda, Tim Mancuso, Tanya Witlen and Colleen Mundorff hope to make an impression in the big meet.
Even with so many fast swims and titles, the team, which has swimmers from East, North, South and New Brunswick, along with Sayreville, Edison, Old Bridge, Metuchen, South Amboy, Spotswood, South River, Milltown, and Spotswood, is most proud of another award.
"For the last two years, we have won the Spirit Award, which is given to the team that cheers the most for their teammates and has the most team spirit," said Brad Rand, last year’s Riptide National Team Swimmer of the year. "We are really proud of that."
Coach Heidelberg, who shares the duties with Brad King, Joe Zanetti and Melissa Brown, agrees.
"We are always happy with a national title, but what I am the most proud of is how everyone supports each other, even in practice," he said. "We try to teach the kids as much about character development as about swimming technique, and you can see it with the great group of kids we have."
Notes… The Raritan Valley Riptide Swim Team will be holding its annual "Spring Fling," a stroke-and-turn technique clinic at Middlesex County College, from April 23 to June 11. You do not have to be a member of Riptide to participate, and this is a good way for summer swimmers to improve their strokes and get ready for the summer season.
Please visit www.rvyriptide.org for details or e-mail Coach Heidelberg at [email protected].