Kate O’Rourke swims the backstroke during a practice at DeNunzio Pool in Princeton on July 18. (Lawrence resident)
Ethan Hatke swims the backstroke during a practice at DeNunzio Pool in Princeton on July 18. (Hopewell resident)
Peter Kalibat kicks down DeNunzio Pool during a practice on July 18.
The Princeton area has served Brent Matheson well as far as swimming goes. He started with the sport at the Dillon Gym pool, joined the Princeton Aquatic Association to improve his skills, and swam recreationally at the Community Park pool.
Now, he’s giving back to the community and hoping to instill that same love of swimming in area children. Matheson serves as the director of Eastern Express Swimming, a year-round local swim team for kids ages seven to 18.
“I’m an attorney by education, but I swam all my life,” he said. “I started coaching at Peddie awhile back, and it reignited my passion for swimming. I heard that the guy who started Eastern Express was looking to sell the team, so I called him up. He told me that he was getting ready to sell it to somebody, but if I was interested, he would be enthusiastic about handing it off to me, so we did that.”
While based at DeNunzio Pool on the Princeton University campus, Matheson also holds practices at The College of New Jersey. Kids come from all over Mercer County to swim with EEX, though most of the team members come from Princeton, Lawrence, Hopewell and Pennington, areas close to the two facilities.
The EEX swimmers compete at several meets in different age groups each year. They host two of their own meets: the Summer Sizzle in June and the Holiday Classic in December.
Ethan Hatke, a Hopewell Valley Central High School swimmer, said his most memorable moment with the team came at the 2011 Holiday Classic.
“I was a sophomore in high school,” he said. “It’s been my favorite meet because I just dropped a ton of time. It was awesome. It was where, after all those years of preparing here, that I realized I was pretty good at this.”
Hatke has been with EEX for six years. He started off as a baseball player, but the sport didn’t do much for him. He switched to swimming at his dad’s suggestion and decided on EEX because of a cousin who was a former member.
“I just love everyone who’s here,” he said. “You need to work so much harder in swimming. It got to the point where I did it so much, I just started loving it. I wasn’t really a swimmer before I joined Express. It made me a swimmer. I wouldn’t change it. It’s been really valuable, absolutely.”
Matheson said he has seen several students like Hatke begin and end their swimming careers with EEX. Many start at seven years old, the minimum age, and stick around through college.
“It’s really gratifying,” Matheson said. “It’s a special feeling when you get to work with a kid for so long. It’s a really neat feeling because they work so hard and put in so many hours. They love it. It’s their thing. It’s their passion. Just to be able to be there and kind of mentor them through the process as they get older is really cool.”
Peter Kalibat, the Princeton High School standout who has earned individual and team state championships, is one of those kids. He joined EEX 10 years ago. It was his first competitive swimming experience.
“It’s really helped me stay organized,” Kalibat said. “The strict schedule really keeps you in line with everything else at school, just being on a repetitive routine. When you train, it’s great. If you have a good set, you feel so accomplished. It’s a great team. Our older kids get along really well with the younger kids. I love being a part of it, and it will definitely be in my memory as I age up.”
He said a lot of that has to do with Matheson.
“Simply put, he’s great,” Kalibat said. “Everyone who returns from college says that they’ve realized how good he really is at teaching swimming, being a coach, and how great of a guy he is. I don’t take that for granted. I really appreciate what he does with the program. He has a great philosophy with swimming. I’ve seen myself progress. I’ve seen him progress and help all of his swimmers grow.”
Lawrence High School star Kate O’Rourke calls Matheson “spectacular.”
“I don’t know if I could find another coach like him,” she said. “He’s like a friend to us, but we really respect him. He’s not intimidating. Some coaches are like that. He gets the best out of us. I don’t know how he does it. He knows what he’s doing. He definitely puts a lot of focus into individuals as well. He has 20 kids that he’s coaching, and he makes sure he gives time to everybody.”
O’Rourke — who has been named Most Outstanding Swimmer at the Mercer County meet for the last two years, is a county champ in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle races, and currently holds two Lawrence records — joined EEX two years ago at the suggestion of a coach. She’s glad she made the move.
“I actually ended up really liking it,” she said. “I’m here to stay. I’ve dropped so much time since I’ve been here. It’s not only made me faster, but I’m a smarter swimmer now. I can do my turns a lot better. I’m still working on them, but they’re getting there. It’s become more of a lifestyle for me. When you put this much time into it and you commit this much, you have to decide that it’s going to be your life. Everybody who’s swimming here, it’s what their passion is.”
The biggest benefit, she said, has been the people.
“It’s really the group of people that are here,” she said. “It’s a great program. Brent is an amazing coach. These are my best friends. We’re all really close. Everybody works hard, and they encourage each other. It’s a great atmosphere.”
Kalibat and Hatke agreed.
“I have to say the guys on the team are probably my best friends,” Kalibat said. “Not probably, definitely. They are kind of like my brothers. Even the girls, too. They’re basically like family. They’re a great group of people. I love hanging out with them. They support me, and I support them.”
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