Montclair HS swim teams advance to North 1, Group A semifinals

MONTCLAIR, NJ – After receiving a bye in the first round of the NJSIAA North 1, Group A Sectionals Tournament, the Montclair High School boys and girls swim teams were both victorious last Thursday night in the Quarterfinals round.

Both teams are now 10-2, in what has been one of the best seasons for both teams in many years.

The boys beat Union City easily with a final score of 114-50, scoring first place finishes in all but two events. The boys took first, second and third place in the 200 I.M. and the 100 Fly. With the addition of sophomore swimmer Justin Ellis in January, who was with the team as a freshman, the boys squad is stronger and more versatile than ever. In all events across the board, the MHS boys are competitive. They swim on Monday, February 12, in the semifinals against a very strong River Dell team. The two teams are evenly matched so it should be a close contest. The meet begins at 5:30pm at Bergen Community College. If they win, the Sectional Finals will be held this Friday, February 16, at Passaic Tech High School, where they will face either Morristown or Passaic Tech.

The girls team just edged out a hungry Pascack Valley team in the quarterfinal meet. The MHS girls took an early lead that was consistently challenged throughout the meet. With only three events left to go, PV was only two points behind Montclair. However, the girls all but solidified their win with the 1-2 finish of Devon Muldoon and Millie Steffe in the 100 Back. Pascack Valley fought back to within four points at the conclusion of the 100 Breast, but when MHS came in first in the 400 Free relay, they clinched the victory with the very last swim.

The girls team swims against a powerful Ridgewood team on Monday, Feb. 12, at Passaic Tech High School. The winner will face Morristown or West Orange in the sectionals final at Passaic Tech on Thursday at 4 p.m.