By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
The last time the Hillsborough High School girls swim team won a Somerset County Championship, Rachel Stoddard was 5 years old.
”I was taking swim lessons, that’s about it,” said the HHS senior. “I wasn’t anywhere near the swim team yet.”
Stoddard has grown up to help the Raiders capture their second county crown in program history in dominant fashion Saturday. Hillsborough’s 258½ points easily eclipsed runner-up Pingry’s 205½. Meet host and defending champion Montgomery High was third with 193.
”That was our main goal going in,” Stoddard said. “It was to win. It was nice to win.”
It was the way in which they won that made this year’s county meet so memorable. Two years ago, Lindsay Temple was the lone HHS girl to win an individual event. This year, Hillsborough captured five individual firsts as well as the opening and closing relays and rewrote the record books. They broke eight records, six of them county records, on their way to the team win.
”It’s nice to see the girls are getting faster,” Stoddard said. “It’s nice to see Hillsborough’s name up there and hear it.”
There was no stopping the Raiders on Saturday. They swam with a determination not seen before, and the result was an awe-inspiring performance that seemed a long time coming for four-year members of the team like Stoddard.
”I know all the girls definitely deserved it,” she said. “It was nice to see the reaction. I’ve seen them happy, but they were by far the happiest ever.
”It’s a nice way to end my senior year. It’s nice to see how the girls get excited for us and how excited (HHS head coach Todd) Sudol and Coach Adele (Morgan) get for us. I was really excited, especially when they handed us the trophy. It was real then. It was nice.”
Even when the Cougars didn’t win, it wasn’t for because of a bad swim. In one instance, they snapped an existing county record but didn’t win. Hillsborough had strong relay and individual efforts from start to finish.
”I feel like we’re a lot closer and we know we can count on each other,” Stoddard said. “Everyone will do their part.”
It began when Temple, Stoddard, Jacquelynn Parker and Julieyanna Parker crushed the old meet record by two seconds to win the 200 medley relay in 1:46.59. The time also was a pool record and a new school record and is up for All-America consideration.
”All the girls were pumped up for the medley,” Stoddard said. “The medley set the tone for us. When we saw how fast we went and broke the meet record, school record and pool record, all the girls were pumped up for us. Each person’s individual swim pumped us up.”
Julieyanna Parker, a freshman, followed when she won the 200 freestyle in 1:52.82, topping the 30-year-old county record of 1:55.01 and snapping her sister’s school record of a year ago.
Stoddard was second in the 200 individual medley in a tight three-girl race, but her time of 2:07.65 broke her own record from a year ago. It was a lifetime best time.
”I was really nervous going into it,” Stoddard said. “I just told Sudol I was going to swim my own race. I was happy with that. The two girls really pushed me.”
Jacquelynn Parker won the 50 freestyle, then in the 100 free, Temple and Morgan Burke of Pingry tied in 52.91. It broke Parker’s school record 53.00 from 2011. Her sister Julieyanna broke the school record and county record with a 5:03.54 clocking in the 500 free even though she was touched out by Katie Fallon of Mount St. Mary for the win.
Two more records fell in the meet’s final two individual events. Temple’s 57.45 won the 100 backstroke and beat the standing county and pool record of 58.13 that had stood since 2009. Stoddard finished off her individual day with a county record 1:04.97 to win the 100 breaststroke. It was her second year in a row winning the event. Her time puts her in consideration for All-America. She won by almost three seconds while recording her fastest time in a high school meet.
”I never know who’s going to be right there with me,” Stoddard said. “I could be feeling bad that day, or someone could be on their game. There was no point in me letting up a little bit. The girls I swim against, I know they can put up some good times if it’s fierce competition.”
The Parkers, Temple and Stoddard capped the meet when they recorded a scintillating 3:30.12 to win the 400 free relay and obliterate the old meet record 3:34.49 set last year. The time is faster than any team ever has swum at Meet of Champions, and the state record will be the Raiders’ if they can duplicate it at the MOC next month.
”The 4 free relay was a great way to end it,” Stoddard said. The Raiders had never been worried as they racked up wins and records.
”Sudol told us to stay relaxed and concentrate on swimming fast,” Stoddard said. “I didn’t know we had it completely until the 4 free relay. Sudol told us to go after our record. The girls going 3:30 in that was really fast. That was a big step for us. It was a good way to end the meet.”
The Cougars have been drawing closer to winning the country crown through Stoddard’s career. Hillsborough had a chance to win going into the final event of last year’s county meet before coming in second, and the year before they also were runners-up.
”We really wanted to win last year,” Stoddard said. “We all put in 100 percent and it came out the way it was. It just motivated us for this year.”
Emma Kohlenstein was sixth in the 100 butterfly, and later took third in the 100 breaststroke. Jacquelynn Parker was third in the 100 free. The Raiders’ 200 free relay captured third and their 1:38.33 time is good enough for All-America consideration.
”It was really good to win since it was my senior year,” Stoddard said. “I know all the girls put in a lot of work and it paid off.
”I was really focusing on this year. When we got to the meet, the girls stood in a giant circle and Sudol gave us a big pep talk. He told us it was our year. We were feeding off each other’s energy. That pumped us up.”
The Raiders used each other to sustain the energy throughout the meet. It brought the team its second county title and a big send-off for its seniors.
”Honestly it’s a big relief to know the team is getting better and better each year,” Stoddard said. “It’s nice to see some of the girls that were there since my sophomore year drop time. It’s nice to see the team is close and we all feed off each other’s energy.”
Stoddard is trying to enjoy her final month with her high school team before she heads to Rutgers University next fall. She still has the state tournament ahead of her and the MOC, and the chance for even more exciting days after a remarkable county performance.
Said Stoddard: “I think the biggest thing it’ll do is pump us up and let us know we belong there and let us know we can do amazing things if we all come together like we did for counties.”
