Padberg, MHS junior
MONTCLAIR, NJ – Pumped to compete after weeks of 5:00 a.m. practices, the Montclair High School Mounties swim team dove all in this past Wednesday to secure victory against Columbia during the first meet of the 2018-19 swim season.
In the weeks preceding this meet, a teacher or two might have noticed Mounties swimmers asleep at their desks, exhausted from juggling their studies and early-morning practice schedules. On December 5, however, gone was the fatigue. Instead, adrenaline flowing, these swimmers stepped up to begin what they hope to be another successful year in the pool.
Thanks to a strong returning lineup and an influx of talented freshmen, the girls beat the reigning Essex County champs 97-73, showing improvement from last year’s 70-100 loss. First place finishes by Sol Jordan (200 free), Devon Muldoon (200 IM, 100 back), Kathrynna Demetillo (50 free), Lily Foung (500 free), and the 400 free relay team of Jordan, Demetillo, Julianne Eckert, and Muldoon fueled this win. However, it took a team effort to bring the win home.
Mia Padberg and Gaea Caro helped Muldoon sweep the 200 IM, coming in 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Padberg also finished 2nd in the 100 free while Caro finished 3rd in the 100 breast. Scoring additional points for the team were Louisa Skerry (3rd in the 200 free), Eckert (3rd in the 100 free, 4th in the 50 free), Maya Crawford (3rd in the 50 free, 4th in the 100 free), Jordan (2nd in the 100 fly), Demetillo (3rd in the 100 fly), Morgan Crawford (5th in the 100 fly), Elana Frank (3rd in the 500 free, 4th in the 100 breast), Skyler Edinburg (5th in the 500 free), Olivia Moore (4th in the 100 back), Foung (2nd in the 100 breast), the 200 medley relay teams of Muldoon, Foung, Demetillo and Eckert (2nd) and Skerry, Caro, Morgan Crawford and Maya Crawford (3rd), and the 400 free relay team of Morgan Crawford, Skerry, Padberg, and Foung (3rd).
The boys dominated, scoring 110-60, with first-place finishes by Jarrett Driever (200 IM), Mizell McEachin (50 free), Tommy White (100 fly), Alexander Petroff (100 free, 100 back), Justin Ellis (100 breast), the 200 free relay team of Ellis, White, Garrett Chow and Marcos Gutierrez, and the 400 free relay team of McEachin, Ellis, Petroff and White. Aiding in this win by earning points for the team were freshmen Gutierrez (2nd in the 200 free, 4th in the 100 back), Lucas Young (5th in the 200 IM), and Leo Powers (3rd in the 200 free and 100 fly), sophomores Sumner Smith (2nd in the 50 free, 3rd in the 500 free) and Caleb Foung (2nd in the 200 IM, 4th in the 100 breast), junior Roman Miklaszewski (3rd in the 100 back, 4th in the 50 free), and seniors Bailey Morganlander (2nd in the 500 free, 4th in the 200 free) and Garrett Chow (4th in the 100 fly). The 200 medley relay teams of Petroff, Ellis, White and McEachin (2nd) and Miklaszewski, Smith, Chow and Driever (3rd), 200 free relay teams of Chow, Gutierrez, Ellis and White (2nd) and Foung, Miklaszewski, Powers and Morganlander (3rd), and 400 free relay team of Chow, Gutierrez, Driever and Smith (2nd) also contributed points for the team.
An opening season win secured, the MHS Mounties can breathe easy for a moment. The remainder of the season, while guaranteed to be tiring, looks bright. The swimmers, greater in number than last year, are highly motivated, the Captains, including Demetillo, Skerry, Maya Crawford, Lucas Pla Silsby, Morganlander and Chow, school spirited, Coach Koenigsfest (affectionately known as Coach K) and newcomer Assistant Coach McLaughlin inspiring. This makes swimming on the MHS Mounties, and its consequent lack of sleep, well worth the effort.
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