Reca has come full circle
By: Justin Feil
Twenty-five years ago, Cheryl Reca came to the first Pirate Invitational as a swimmer.
The West Windsor-Plainsboro North head coach, who also ran the meet as WW-P South head coach for one year, was back for the 25th Pirate Invitational with the Knight boys Saturday and girls Sunday.
"This is the first year it’s been on the same weekend," Reca said. "It’s usually the first weekend in January, but we were still on break. You can’t push it back any farther because there are so many other meets."
Few carry the stature of the Pirate. Reca notes that they haven’t changed the awards, tiny bricks, though this year South made them silver for the 25th anniversary.
Saturday, a special award was presented to Westfield head coach Bruce Johnson, who’s been to all 25 Pirate Invitationals. For the youngest coaches in the area, Montgomery’s Claire Scarpa and West Windsor-Plainsboro South’s Paul Hamnett, seeing their 25th Pirate is a far off possibility.
"If I’m still around," said Scarpa whose Cougars were making their first appearance at the Pirate, "that’d be awesome."
"I highly doubt I can coach for the time that Bruce Johnson has put in," Hamnett said. "I’d be 50."
Reca has been to 16 Pirate Invitationals (two as a swimmer and nine as a Lenape and Cherokee coach). She’s seen how the Pirate has changed somewhat in 25 years and should be around for at least nine more to make 25 of her own.
"They used to have a lot more South Jersey teams," she said. "It was always a good experience for us because New Jersey states was held the same way, all on one day. That was one of the reasons that they came to this meet. States has been changed now."
Good teams keep coming. This weekend was no different, and it helped make the 25th Pirate Invitational a memorable one for all who were a part of it.