By Rich Fisher, Sports Editor
As the Mercer County Swimming Championships draw near, Victoria Cassidy is not the only Cranbury resident carrying a strong resume’ into next weekend’s event.
Sophomore Kiersten Holswade has also enjoyed a strong season, as have freshmen boys Derek Colaizzo and Addison Hebert. How they will make out in the counties remains to be see, but thus far, they have made quite an impression on Princeton coach Greg Hand.
Below are the veteran coach’s assessments of the trio.
—On Holswade: “She’s a powerhouse on the girls team. She trains as hard, and with as much focus, as anyone we’ve had. For her, each workout is both a physical and a mental challenge, and she tries to do the whole thing to the best of her ability. Out of the pool, she’s a consistent optimist, and funny as can be.
”With both Victoria and Kiersten, the balance of an intense work ethic with a generous, spirited attitude sets a great tone for the team.”
—On Colaizzo: “Derek is a huge addition to our team. He has made impressive time drops throughout the season, and the sky is the limit for the future. His best natural strokes are butterfly and sprint free, and he works constantly to improve his technique in those areas. He’s a terrific relay swimmer.”
—On Hebert: “Addy is very versatile; he’s strong in all the strokes, and has helped us in every event. He loves a challenge, and is a great dual meet competitor. At the same time, he avoids the limelight, and is very team-oriented. He could swim any of several events in counties, and in team states.”
Cassidy also added her two cents concerning the fab frosh, saying “They’re doing great, it’s really nice to have some really fast freshmen on the team, because you know they’ll get better.”
