Between the North and South boys and girls swim teams, there are no fewer than 10 sets of brothers and sisters in the line-ups. ##M:[more]##The sibling swimmers, according to their coaches, have been nothing but supportive to one another, which isn’t always as easy, particularly when the younger sibling starts winning.
“It makes for interesting competition,” says South coach Paul Hamnet. “Competition among girls is one thing. Competition among siblings is another. They really push one another. We have some situations where the younger sibling has success at an earlier age, and that propels the older one to try to achieve the same success.”
On the eve of the county championships that will be held Saturday, February 3, in Lawrenceville, South’s undefeated girls’ squad have not just won, but dominated competition this year. The school won the 12-team Pirate Invitational for the fourth time in its history, and won comfortably. At the 12-team meet, freshman Rebecca Lewinson set or helped to set three school records, and won the Most Outstanding Swimmer award. Her sister, Rachel, is a sophomore.
Junior Paola Simon has been the team’s best swimmer this season. Over the past three years, she has eclipsed her older sister, Milagros. Junior Jenna Ketchmark and her freshman sister Meridith are each part of a different record-holding relay team.
On the North team, one of the best sibling tandems has a different dynamic. Junior Nick Covey, among the best swimmers on the boys team, has seen his sister, Kelly, a freshman be one of the most consistent winners on the girls team. He cheered from the side as she swam a school-record setting 200 freestyle race earlier this year.
Also on the North girls team, Raquel and Rocio Riestra, a senior and a sophomore, are both good swimmers who, according to their coach, “swim very differently.”
North coach Theresa Bonanno says the siblings on her team have been nothing but helpful to each other. “It’s more of a supportive role. It’s all healthy competition amongst teammates, but the siblings are never in competition with each other. I’m grateful for them, because I know even though I’m losing the seniors after this year, I have a strong sibling of theirs to depend on in the future.”
Bonanno says she sees the teammates that share last names as part of a larger family that shares the Knights name. “Our team is really tight. I didn’t see this a lot when I was swimming. On our team, when they’re in the pool, it’s hard to distinguish between the teams, or to tell who’s in what grade. They have pasta parties all the time without even inviting the coaches, and I’m so happy with that. Having the team come together on their own certainly helps.”
South Sweeps Strong North Squad
When North met South in the Pirates’ bubble on January 18, there was little of the animosity that characterizes most meetings of sports teams between the schools. Competitors shrieked greetings to friends on the opposite team when they saw each other, and girls frequently hugged each other across lane markers after their races, while they waited for their times to be displayed on the scoreboard.
Most of the best swimmers on either team know each other from years of training in club swimming. Their allegiances there, after all, go back years and last year round. For three months out of the year, they compete for rival schools, and some of the fastest finishers are in only their first year of high school swimming.
Despite a lack of hatred between the athletes, there was no shortage of spectators. South’s boys and girls basketball teams showed up to watch the meet after their own practice, along with athletes from many sports from both North and South. North parents held banners, and swimmers from other top CVC programs were on hand to watch two of the area’s best girls swim teams meet head to head.
South swept the afternoon, winning the girls meet, 106-64, and the boys meet, 105-65. It was one more win for an undefeated South girls squad, but also glimpse of what promises to be a bright future for WW-P swimming. All four teams are among the best in the CVC, and there is no small amount of talent in the lower grades. With two passionate coaches at the helm, these programs are poised to dominate for years to come.
South Girls
It should come as no surprise that Paul Hamnet predicts the Pirates will win the Mercer County Championships. It may be difficult to find someone who doesn’t consider South the overwhelming favorite. South set three school records on the way to winning the Pirate Invitational. It hasn’t just gone 12-0 in dual meets, it has rarely been challenged.
What makes the feat more impressive is that among the team’s most consistent swimmers are three freshman: Brynja Winnan, Meredith Ketchmark, and Rebecca Lewinson. Lewinson shocked the field by winning the Most Outstanding Swimmer award at the Pirate Invitational. On that date, she set a new school record in the 200 Individual Medley, which is the greatest test of endurance and versatility for a swimmer at this level. She was also a member of 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams that set school records. “Every once in a while you get to see someone have a special performance like that. Rebecca had great swims that day, she broke the record, and she was so excited to be given the award,” Said Hamnet, who has coached the Pirates for seven years.
Lewinson’s big meet aside, the team is anchored by Paola Simon. As a junior, Simon is already regarded as one of the top swimmers in the CVC, consistently winning multiple events in dual meets. Simon anchored both record-breaking relay teams. “She came in as a freshman, and wasn’t great,” said Hamnet. “She’s made herself great by putting in time and effort, and that is what sets her apart from the others. She is one of the top three swimmers in the county.”
Hamnet, who was a swimmer himself in high school in Pennsylvania and at Shippensburg University, says the abundance of freshman talent does not guarantee that this year is the beginning of a South dynasty. “Sometimes girls come in good and don’t get much faster as they mature.”
Hamnet, who teaches math and computers at South, says his role in trying to create that dynasty is to keep his swimmers focused on training and being part of a team. “We try and make them better leaders and better teammates. I think we can help show them there’s more to the sport than the focus on individual swimming that a club may provide,” said Hamnet. “We try to teach them about getting stronger, that when they get to a certain level, they need to lift more. We try to make them better leaders and better teammates.”
That role is being taught by example by the Pirate senior captains. Kate Winters is enjoying great success in her final year, but the spotlight doesn’t shine as much on Vicky Herbert, Kay Beach, and Milagros Simon, all of whom would be the star swimmer in a lesser program. “I think they handle it very well. It could have created problems, I’m sure some girls on some teams might have had a problem with seeing so many great young swimmers make the team,” said Hamnet of his captains. “They’ve managed to take a grasp of the situation and make it positive. They’ve showed the freshman things and really helped them improve.”
South Boys
Hamnet says last year’s Pirates boys team was the best he’s coached in his seven years. He lost a number of seniors from the 14-2 squad, which made it to the Central Jersey finals. In their place, Hamnet has another crop of seniors who have matured to become leaders of an otherwise young squad.
Hamnet says this year’s team (10-4) is among the top five squads in the CVC. South won the county meet last year, giving captains Mike Carman and Julian Ressler experience that that benefits the entire squad. “They lead the way and show the younger guys how to improve. Since they’ve been here, they’ve both learned how to work hard. Both of them have improved so much since freshman year due to putting in extra time and effort. So many talented swimmers don’t get better because they don’t work hard.”
Carman is the most versatile, swimming and often winning the 200 individual medley. “Mike is really improved over the past four years. He’s improved almost more than any swimmer we’ve ever had. He’s really made a name for himself.”
Ressler’s specialty is the butterfly “He’s doing well this year, he finally cracked the minute mark for the 100 fly,” said Hamnet. “He’s starting to improve his middle distance freestyles, too, and I think he’s poised to be competitive in the county meet.”
Although Tony Qian wasn’t made a captain at the start of the season, the senior has stepped into a leadership role. “Tony is essentially a captain. He’s acting like one. He leads this team in practice, and he helps out all the other swimmers.”
Joey Grant, a sophomore, is enjoying his first full year as a Pirate. Grant broke a collarbone before the county meet last year. He figures to carry the success he’s had during the regular season into the meet, as both a solo sprinter (50, 100, 200 freestyles) and as a member of the free relay teams.
Hugh Le, a junior, and Alp Yurter, a sophomore, havealso contributed as individuals and members of relay teams. They appear poised to lead the Pirates in the future.
North Girls
North (11-2) and Notre Dame have developed a heated rivalry in all sports in the seven years of the Plainsboro school’s existence. The competitive fire burned even hotter between the two schools in the pool this year with the addition of first year head coach Theresa Bonanno on the North side. Bonanno was a Notre Dame swimmer in high school, and started her coaching career as an assistant at the private school.
She says her history with Notre Dame gave the Knights extra inspiration to beat the Irish. It was enought for the girls to pull out a one-point victory in an match that came down to the final race.
Bonanno says beating one of the top teams in the county is the year’s highlight thus far, particularly because of Captain Kiki Rosa’s role in helping the team to a dramatic win. “Going into the last race, we needed both our relay teams to finish 1-2 to get the win. In a match that is so close, taking the top 2 spots in the relay is almost unheard of,” says Bonanno, also a guidance counselor at North. “I never talk to my swimmers when they’re behind the blocks getting ready, but I did before that race. I talked to Kiki [Rosa] about how much we needed that race. She was anchoring the B team, but she got both teams psyched up before the race. And they pulled it off. I will never forget the way Kiki swam that race. That won it for us.”
Rosa hasn’t had the senior year she may have expected. As a junior, she had been among the fastest on the team, but as a senior has been slowed by illness. Bonanno says that hasn’t dampened her spirit, and that, as she showed in the meet against Notre Dame, she can anchor the team both in and out of the water.
Raquel and Rocio Riestra have pushed each other, and the rest of the team to swimming some of the the best times in the history of the Knights program. Raquel, has not only been the best sprinter, she’s also been the team’s de facto spirit leader and its best singer. “She’s such a spirited leader. She’s very passionate. She gets to know all the kids and she is the swimmer that all the kids depend on for a word of encouragement,” says Bonanno. “She’s also performed the national anthem at home meets, and she’ll sing it at the Mercer County Tournament, too.”
In the lanes, her abilities are just as impressive. She’s set school records in the 50 and 100 freestyle sprints. Both she and Rocio are members of the 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams, both of which set school records this year.
“These kids have had us up and down the ladder changing the times on the record board all year. It seems like after every dual meet, there has been at least one new record time,” says Bonanno, who swam for Albright College in Reading, PA.
Bonanno says this is the best year in the Knights’ short history. Two young swimmers look to improve themselves and the team in the next few seasons. Virginia Hung broke the school record this year in the 200 individual medley and set the record in the 100 yard butterfly as a freshman. Hung is a versatile swimmer who excels at multiple strokes and is capable of winning almost any race, and swimming any of the relays.
Freshman Kelly Covey has the endurance to swim the longer races, and has been dependable in the 500 yard freestyle races. She has been more than dependable in the 200 yard free. She set the school record at that distance earlier this year. She has also anchored the 400 yard freestyle relay team.
North Boys
Bonanno has coached the North boys (8-5) to a season that has included multiple school record-setting performances, just as she has with the girls. She says outside of meets, she doesn’t treat the two squads as separate. “I really see them as one team. When they’re in the water, they’re just one big group. They learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses.” Says Bonanno. “The competition in the CVC is always getting better, and three of the boys’ losses were really within just a few points. We almost upset Lawrence, an undefeated team.”
Given the way the North swimmers have improved throughout the year, several boys could score at the Mercer County Tournament. Jason Raziano is looking to improve on his school record sprint times and make a splash in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle races. “He’s a good leader. He really gets to know the kids. He is one of our most spirited athletes. He’s as intense around the pool as he is while he’s swimming.”
Jason is a captain along with Josh Chen, who Bonanno says has a different style. “He’s more of a quiet leader, but if you ask him anything about our swimmers, or the other top swimmers in the CVC, he knows everything about them. He knows their times, he knows all the records, and what he has to do to break them.”
Bonanno says versatile swimmers like Chen are a coach’s most valueable athlete. She says the most difficult part of coaching is deciding which swimmers will compete in which races. Each athlete is limited to no more than 4 races, including no more than 2 individual events. “He’s our most reliable and versatile swimmer. He’s just a godsend to have: Someone you can put anywhere.”
Nick Covey, a senior, is more than just Kelly’s older brother. His specialty is the 100 backstroke, an event in which he set the school record this year. He’s also among the strongest freestyle swimmers, and has been a member of both medley relay and freestyle medley teams. Along with Chen, he swims the 200 individual medley.
One of the younger Knights is also one of the team’s best. Derek Chiao, a sophomore, has been called on to swim back-to-back events when a win was on the line. “I’ve stressed him out,” says Bonanno. “He’ll swim the breast in a medley relay, and then as an individual, and after that, several times I’ve had to take him out of the water and put him in the free relay, which comes right after the breast stroke.”
Bonanno’s Knights have become not only a winning team, but a team with a winning identity. The coach’s passion and respect for the sport is apparent in her team’s interaction, not only with each other, but also with opponents. The Knight’s image has not gone unrecognized. Fellow Mercer County coaches voted North the winners of the county’s
