SBHS swimming through the competition
Boys have a 7-1 record, while girls are 5-4, heading into GMC meet
BY RICHARD JEROME Staff Writer
The South Brunswick High School swimming team is continuing the school'swinning tradition thus far this year, as the boys head into Saturday morning's Greater Middlesex Conference meet with a 7-1 record in dualmeets,while the female side has had a somewhatmore even 5- 4 ledger.

"We're just about where I thought we'd be at the beginning of the season," says veteran coach JohnHarding,who is enjoying his 11th year at the Vikings'helm. "Iwasn't positive about the boys because we graduated a few guys, but I have to say thismight be the strongest boys' team I've ever had, even stronger than last year's club,whichwent 9- 1 and finished second in the GMCs."

In the Vikings' most recent dual encounter, they made short work of Hightstown, with the boyswinning 121-49 and the girls dominating the pool by a similarly lopsidedmargin, 124-46. For the girls, that represented a rebound from their loss in the previous meet, a 104-66 decision to West Windsor-Plainsboro North; the boys prevailed on that day, 100-70.

"On the boys' side, I have three big guns," Harding points out. "HarryMa, a senior, has been a huge performer for us in the IndividualMedley and the backstroke."

Ma, in fact, is the school record holder in the 200 IM and was co-MVP of the team in each of the past two campaigns. TylerWardlow, a junior who specializes in the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke, holds the school standard in both events and shared theMVP honors withMa.

"A big surprise for us is senior Mike Socienski, who really just started swimming competitively last year and is one of the topfive sprinters in the county," Harding says. "He's also broken school records and I'mlooking forward to his having a bigmeet on Saturday in the GMCs."

There have been some other solid contributors for SBHS this winter, among them are:DillonDiatlo,who excels in the 100 butterfly; James Kugel, an excellent swimmer in the freestyle events and the IM;Brian Lee, who swims in the butterfly and Brian Dai, who competes in the backstroke and the IM. Another key cog is Will Samtur, who can be seen in the 50 and 100 freestyle.

"Another excellent addition is freshman CalvinChiu," addsHarding. "He's swimming in the IM and the backstroke and he's already a really big contributor."

On the girls' side, the Vikings enter the GMCs on the strength of a sweep against Hightstown.

"It's been a tough year for the girls, with a lot of illness, adversity and injury," notes the coach, who is assisted by Lauren Palumbo and Lorie Ruina. "We can't seemto get everyone healthy at the same time. But hopefully we'll be stronger on Saturday."

Among the top female swimmers are Gessica Charniga, who competes in the breaststroke and freestyle; Liz Samtur, a butterfly and freestyler; Abby Weingarten, last year'sMVPand the school record holder in the 100 breaststroke and butterfly, is nursing a sore shoulder.

"She's a real trouper, competing in pain," says Harding. "She's feeling better and I'm hoping she'll contribute even more for the rest of the way."

Also distinguishing herself is Danielle Bartolota, who swims in the 200 and 100 freestyle.