1-2-3 breaststroke finish clinches crown
By: John E. Powers
NORTH BRUNSWICK Things were going very well for the Hillsborough High School boys’ swimming team at the North Brunswick High School pool Monday night in the Central Public A final against Lawrence.
And that was even before the Raiders got to their strength.
The Raiders sealed their 93-77 conquest of the previously-unbeaten Cardinals (16-1) with a 1-2-3 finish in the breaststroke as Frank Ippolito, Pat Kuehne and Peter Cole went 1:01.57, 1:02.13 and 1:03.45, respectively. That gave the Raiders (11-2) an insurmountable 87-69 lead. Just one event remained, the 400 freestyle relay.
Their second straight title had been sewed up. The Raiders now advance to the state semifinals today at the College of New Jersey.
"When you have three of the top breaststrokers in the area and in the state that swim well when they are all swimming together when they are in the event together there is a unique bond," Hillsborough head coach Todd Sudol said. "They know when to swim big and today they did. Those three guys are like our insurance policy for some of these meets when we know it’s going to be close. We know we can always finish strong."
The Raiders trailed just once after Lawrence went 1-4-5 in the opening event, the 200 medley relay to take an 8-6 lead. Even then, the Raiders took 2-3 as the teams of James Vanbiervliet, Ippolito, Kuehne and Sean Downey and Austin Steel, Cole, Devin Gunasekara and James Lyon earned six points.
It was 8-6, but Tim Rauch (1:51.01) won the 200 freestyle to help pull the Raiders even at 15-15. Ippolito and Kuehne followed with a 2-3 finish in the 200 individual medley behind Lawrence star Josh Rosenbluth and the Raiders had a 24-22 lead one they wouldn’t relinquish. Rosenbluth won the race in 1:59.75, while Kuehne went 2:02.09 and Ippolito had a 2:07.67.
"I felt comfortable right after the 200 freestyle because their strengths are in the freestyles and I knew if we could have an edge on them in their events or stay with them that we could win," Sudol said.
Hillsborough slowly extended its lead. Downey won the 50 freestyle in 23.03 with Prow and Lyon taking fourth and fifth, respectively, to make it 33-29 and Vanbiervliet’s 56.30 won the 100 butterfly and Gunasekara’s 59.13 took third. The lead was 10 points at 44-34.
"I tell these guys before every meet that you have to swim for each other, you know? Swim for each other and be willing to go to no end for each other" Sudol said. "They do that. They swim as a team and not as individual and I think that’s why we’re so successful. I don’t consider us a team that has one or two fast guys and a supporting cast. I say they are all top guys. We can cover every meet top to bottom very strong."
The Cardinals, the Mercer County champs, crept to within six by taking 1-3 in the 100 freestyle as Eric Hoover won in 51.02 and J.P. Kelly was third at 51.75. Downey was second at 51.22.
Hillsborough led 50-44 at that point. The Raiders moved to 60-50 as Steel and Rauch went 1-2 in the 500 freestyle at 5:02.96 and 5:03.17.
The lead was cut to eight as Lawrence’s Steve Goldberg, Kelly, Hoover and Jordan McGrew won the 200 freestyle relay. The Cardinals stayed at eight behind when Rosenbluth took first in the 100 backstroke at 54.85 with Vanbiervliet second and Steel third. Eight points was as close as Lawrence would get.
Ippolito was in lane six, Kuehne in four and Cole in three for the 100 breaststroke. They quickly took control and finished a blazing 1-2-3 with Ippolito at 1:01.57, Kuehne at 1:02.13 and Cole at 1:03.43. The Raiders had a comfortable 87-69 lead with just the 400 freestyle relay left.
"We wanted to go out in style 1-2-3," Ippolito said. "A bunch of the parents and coach Sudol had scored it being tight in the middle with the relays coming out, but with the breaststrokers taking house, just like last year. I felt faster than ever. I felt at top of my game. It felt great."
"We have the best breaststroke team in the state," Kuehne said.
Kuehne praised his teammates. Sophomore Robert Webb and freshmen Kyle Smith and Austin Steel all contributed.
"It was just a team combined, everybody combined together to make this the best team the school has had and will see in quite awhile," Kuehne said.