Local swimmers excel at conference championships

FARRAH MAFFAI North Brunswick’s Drew Schanen was just one of a number of swimmers from Nob Valley Swim Club to fare well at the New Jersey Swimming and Diving Conference Championships, held at the Frog Hollow Swim Club in South Amboy on July 30-31.

The New Jersey Swimming and Diving Conference Championships were held at the Frog Hollow Swim and Tennis Club in South Amboy recently, with a number of local swimmers earning medals.

The two-day meet marked the end of the summer season, and one last time for the area’s top swimmers to showcase their talents in what is one of the state’s most competitive meets.

The Nob Valley Swim Club had the strongest performance of all the local teams, led by Nina Malanga, who won the girls’ ages 13-14 200 freestyle (2:21.93) and the girls’ 13-14 100 freestyle (1:04.58)

Julie Rose was also a multiple gold-medal winner, taking the girls’ 13-14 100 backstroke (1:11.98) and the girls’ 13-14 200 IM (2:40.20).

Nob Valley had a number of other individual medal-winners, including: Joseph Smoot, second boys’ 9-10 50 breaststroke (50.23), fourth boys’ 9-10 50 backstroke (49.02) and sixth boys’ 10U 100 IM (1:51.46); Andy Rose, second boys’ 11-12 50 breaststroke (39.31) and third boys’ 11-12 50 butterfly (35.67) and boys’ 11-12 100 IM (1:21.16); Jaclyn Barton, third girls’ 15-18 100 backstroke (1:16.90); and Brian Rose, third boys’ 15-18 100 breaststroke (1:18.78) and boys’ 15-18 200 IM (2:42.18).

Among the other top finishers for Nob Valley were: Casey Snepar, fourth boys’ 13-14 100 breaststroke (1:23.08); Tanya Witlen, fourth girls’ 11-12 50 breaststroke (41.97); Tanya Holubniak, fifth girls’ 15-18 100 free (1:09.00); Nicole Van Avery, fourth girls’ 11-12 50 freestyle (31.93) and sixth girls’ 11-12 50 butterfly (36.10); Rebecca Mary Patten, fifth girls’ 8-and-under 25 breaststroke (25.36); John Kosmo, sixth boys’ 13-14 100 backstroke (1:21.92); and Ian Holubniak, sixth boys 11-12 50 freestyle (34.44)

Nob Valley also had a number of top finishes in the relays, starting with the girls’ 13-18 200 medley relay team of Julie Rose, Tanya Holubniak, Jaclyn Barton and Nina Malanga that won in 2:17.09, Other top finishers included the boys’ 9-12 200 medley relay team of Joseph Smoot, Ian Holubniak, Andy Rose and Matthew Burke, second (2:48.48); the girls’ 13-18 200 freestyle relay team of Jaclyn Barton, Tanya Holubniak, Julie Rose and Nina Malanga, second (2:02.64); the boys’ 13-18 200 medley relay team of Brian Rose, Casey Snepar, Drew Schanen and John Kosmo (third, 2:09.73); and the boys’ 13-18 200 freestyle relay team off Casey Snepar, Chris Turkiewicz, Brian Rose and Drew Schanen, fourth (2:03.44).

The Willows Swim Club of South Brunswick was led by Amy Wolf, who was one of the meet’s dominant swimmers. Wolf won the girls’ 15-18 100 breaststroke (1:18.50) and the girls’ 15-18 200 IM (2:37.78) Jamie Weingraten also enjoyed a banner meet, winning gold medals in the girls’ 8U backstroke, freestyle and butterfly.

Other individual medal-winners from the Willows included: William Samtur, second boys’ 10-and-under 100 freestyle (1:23.95), third boys’ 9-10 50 freestyle (35.67) and fourth boys 9-10 50 butterfly (46.18); Amy Wolf, second girls’ 15-18 100 butterfly (1:15.47); Danielle Eige, second, girls’ 15-18 100 breaststroke (1:25.11), third girls’ 15-18 100 free (1:08.79) and sixth girls’ 15-18 200 IM (2:58.81); and Jared Kohutanycz, second boys’ 11-12 50 freestyle (32.98).

Among the other top finishers from the Willows were: Liz Samtur, fourth girls’ 11-12 50 butterfly (35.42); Ryan Finch, fourth boys’ 8-and-under 25m breaststroke (25.74) and boys’ 8U 25 backstroke (23.04); Abby Weingarten, fifth girls’ 9-10 50 breaststroke; Christopher Hochman, sixth boys’ 11-12 50 backstroke (40.92);

Willows swimmers also fared well in the relays. Among the top finishers were the girls’ 8-and-under 100 medley relay team of Cara Begley, Emily Rothstein, Jamie Weingarten and Arielle Sherman, third (1:50.75); the girls’ 8U 100 freestyle relay team of Cara Begley, Emily Rothstein, Hannah Sherman and Jamie Weingarten, third (1:31.36); the girls’ 9-12 200 medley relay team of Abby Weingarten, Julianne Peterson, Liz Samtur and Carly Kohutanycz, (fifth, 2:47.91); and the girls’ 9-12 200 freestyle relay team of Julianne Peterson, Abby Weingarten, Carly Kohutanycz and Liz Samtur, fifth (2:26.27).

The North Brunswick Rapids also won some medals, starting with Veronica Feltrin, who won the girls 11-12 100 freestyle in 1:05.10, the girls’ 11-12 50 backstroke (34.18) and the girls’ 11-12 100 IM (1:15.34). Joan Baltazal also brought home a gold, winning the girls’ 13-14 100 breaststroke (1:21.57).

Robbie Wierzbicki, fourth boys’ 15-18 100 backstroke (1:09.20); Nicole Karalevich, sixth 15-18 200 free (2:26.52), were the other top finishers for the Rapids, while the girls’ 13-18 200 freestyle relay team of Nicole Karalevich, Missy Socha, Nicole Pagliaro and Joan Baltazal took sixth (2:11.57).