By:Neil Hay
The goal of new Hightstown High School girls’ swim coach John Vaage is simple: to make this team better than last year’s. As far as improving on the team’s won-loss record, well, that will eventually take care of itself.
"Our primary goal is to get them to be better swimmers than last year. The meet results will follow from there," said Vaage, the girls’ first-year coach.
Vaage, a second-year math teacher at the high school, is still getting to know his squad which numbers more than 30 swimmers. An immediate goal of the coach is "to get to know the kids and their times."
A four-year swimmer (distance freestyle and backstroke) himself when he was a student at SUNY-Buffalo, Vaage is counting on several returnees and one promising addition to lead the Rams.
At the forefront should be the Rams’ tri-captains: seniors Julie Tuleya (freestyle) and Rebecca Follansbee (breaststroke), and junior Sara Brunetti (butterfly). Also expected to score are backstroker Katie Johnson, and Laura Thornley in the distances.
Vaage is looking for instant contributions from freshman Lauren Ringelheim, the squad’s only year-round swimmer (with Peddie Aquatics). Ringelheim will score in the IM, back and fly.
"She is pretty good for a freshman," said Vaage.
Hightstown began the new season on Dec. 5 at home with a 110-60 loss to Rancocas Valley. The locals got off to a good start with a win in the 200 medley relay with Johnson, Follansbee, Brunetti and Tuleya touching first in 2:13.93. However, this was to be the Rams’ only first place of the meet.
In other results Thornley was second in the 200 and 500 freestyles, Ringelheim was second in the 200 IM and 100 backstroke, Tuleya and Johnston were two-three in the 50 free, and Brunetti was second in the 100 fly. Also, Tuleya was second in the 100 free, Robin Drew, Thornley, Sarah White and Ashley Levy third in the 200 freestyle relay, Follansbee and Ashvini Thamiah second and third, respectively, in the 100 breast, and Brunetti, White, Tuleya and Levy third in the 4X100 free relay.
Asked for his thoughts on the team’s opening meet, Vaage replied, "It is hard to tell. This was the first time I saw them compete. They swam hard. There were a lot of close races."
Hightstown’s second meet of the season two days later was equally challenging as the Rams fell to East Brunswick 101-69 at home. Hightstown first places went to Grundel in the 200 IM (3:12.17), Tuleya in the 100 freestyle (1:09.32), Thornley in the 500 freestyle (7:07.50), the 200 free relay team of Drew, White, Thornley and Tuleya (2:14.10), and Johnston in the 100 backstroke (1:17.98).
In other meet results, Thornley was second in the 200 free, Johnston second in the 50 free, Brunetti second in the fly, Amy Soden third in the backstroke, and Follansbee second in the breaststroke. The Rams were also second in the 400 freestyle relay.
