Montclair YMCA Dolphins swim team makes waves at YMCA Bronze North Championships and NJ YMCA Silver Championships

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MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair YMCA Dolphins swim team continued its successful run at two recent meets, the 2020 YMCA Bronze North Championships and the 2020 NJ YMCA Silver Championships.  

YMCA Silvers was held at Gloucester Institute of Technology from Feb. 14 through 16  and featured 28 teams from across the state, while the YMCA Bronze meet was held in Perth Amboy on Feb.  8 and 9, with 16 teams on hand.  Across the two meets, 32 Dolphins achieved individual best times that qualified them for additional meets.

At the Bronze meet, swimmers Fifi Amanuel (200 fly), John Franciosi (200 back), Brenden Goldman (200 individual medley), Leo Loo-Liambas (200 individual medley) and Gabriele Remache (200 free) achieved Silver times, qualifying them for the meet the following weekend.  

At Silvers, Dolphins Salma Benchekroun (1000 free, 400 individual medley), Lauren Espiritu (50 breast, 100 breast, 200 breast), Riley Felber (100 back), Caitlin Foung (400 individual medley), Christian Gilio-Malabre (200 individual medley), Katherine Habjan (100 back), Sam Holbech (100 free), Nead Kojic (200 back, 100 fly, 200 fly, 400 individual medley), Omer Korkmaz (200 back), John McCarren (100 free, 200 free, 50 back), Mizell McEachin (100 free), Cristian Remache (100 fly), Spyros Salatas (100 breast), Vasilios Salatas (50 free, 200 fly), Jasper Schneiders-Smith (100 free, 200 free, 500 free, 200 individual medley), Iris Shen (100 back), Sasha Steele (100 individual medley), Caitlyn Tagliareni (100 fly, 400 individual medley), and Clayton Thomas (100 fly) qualified to advance to YMCA States in March.  

Dolphins who added qualifying times for the team’s annual trip to Charlotte, North Carolina for the 2020 Sunkissed Invitational included Oliva Beck in the 100 breast and 200 individual medley, Rosslyn Cueva in the 100 back, Troy Dibble in the 100 breast, Lauren Espiritu in the 100 breast and 200 breast, Katherine Habjan in the 100 back, Nead Kojic in the 200 back, 100 fly, 200 fly and 400 individual medley, Mizell McEachin in the 500 free, Leo Powers in the 100 free, Gabriel Remache in the 100 back, Jose Rodriguez-LaLlave in the 400 individual medley, Vasilios Salatas in the 200 fly, Sasha Steele in the 100 individual medley and Cooper Voss in the 500 free.  

Dolphins achieving top 3 finishes at the Bronze meet were Olivia Beck (3rd 200 individual medley), Harris Conk (2nd 100 back), Troy Dibble (3rd 50 free), Riley Felber (2nd 100 back), Brenden Goldman (3rd 200 back), Ian Habjan (1st 200 back), Katie Habjan (1st 50 back), Omer Korkmaz (1st 200 individual medley, 3rd 200 medley relay, 2nd 100 individual medley), Leo Loo-Liambas (3rd 200 medley relay), Mina Meyer-Najmi (2nd 50 free, 2nd 200 back), Sarah Miller (3rd 200 breast), David Pedo (3rd 200 breast), Gabriel Remache (3rd 100 back), David Seow (3rd 200 medley relay), Iris Shen (3rd 50 breast), Sasha Steele (3rd 200 individual medley, 2nd 100 individual medley), Maxine Stuart (3rd 100 back), and Clayton Thomas (1st 100 fly, 3rd 200 medley relay). 

Additional finishers in the top 8 at Bronze included Fifi Amanuel (4th 200 fly), Olivia Beck (7th 100 back, 6th 200 medley relay, 4th 100 breast, 5th 200 free relay), Ehab Breikaa (8th 200 free relay), Emerson Conk (8th 200 free relay), Harris Conk (7th 50 breast, 8th 50 back), Troy Dibble (4th 200 free, 8th 200 medley relay), Carly Fazendin (6th 200 medley relay), Riley Felber (5th 200 medley relay, 6th 50 back, 4th 100 breast), Jonas Foung (6th 200 individual medley), John Franciosi (8th 200 medley relay), Ari Glasman (5th 100 breast, 7th 200 free relay), Brenden Goldman (7th 100 back), Rylan Gorman Zaldo (7th 200 free relay), Isabella Guzman (6th 200 medley relay, 8th 200 back, 8th 200 free relay), Sophia Gyan (6th 200 free relay), Ian Habjan (6th 100 back,  8th 200 free relay), Katie Habjan(6th 200 medley relay, 6th 200 free relay), Alex Jacobstein (6th 200 medley relay), Chloe Kilpatrick (7th 200 medley relay), Omer Korkmaz (7th 200 free relay), Leo Loo-Liambas (8th 50 breast, 8th 100 breast), Mina Meyer-Najmi (8th 100 back, 4th 200 free, 6th 200 medley relay, 5th 200 free relay), Sarah Miller (6th 200 medley relay, 6th 100 breast, 8th 200 free relay), Celia Murphy-Branstein (7th 100 back, 6th 200 medley relay, 6th 200 back, 8th 200 free relay), David Pedo (5th 200 free), Gabriel Remache (7th 200 fly, 4th 200 individual medley, 8th 200 free relay), David Seow (7th 200 free), Iris Shen (5th 200 medley relay), Katie Song (6th 200 medley relay, 5th 200 free relay), Sasha Steele (6th 200 medley relay, 6th 200 free relay), Maxine Stuart (8th 200 medley relay), and Clayton Thomas (7th 200 free relay).

Individual Dolphins with top 3 finishes at Silvers included Salma Benchekroun (1st 400 individual medley, 3rd 1000 free), Lauren Espiritu (3rd 100 breast, 2nd 200 breast), Christian Gilio-Malabre (2nd 100 breast), Nead Kojic (3rd 400 individual medley, 3rd 200 fly), John McCarren (1st 50 back, 1st 100 back), Leo Powers (3rd 100 fly), Spyros Salatos (2nd 200 individual medley), and Jasper Schnieders-Smith (3rd 100 free).  

The Dolphins also racked up top 8 finishes across many events at YMCA Silvers including Salma Benchekroun (7th 200 free relay, 8th 100 free, 6th 200 individual medley, 7th 200 medley relay), Sasha Black (7th 100 free, 7th 200 medley relay), Simone Byun (6th 1000 free, 6th 1650 free), Lauren Espiritu (8th 50 breast), Ellie Felber (7th 200 medley relay), Riley Felber (7th 200 medley relay), Caitlin Foung (7th 200 free relay, 7th 200 medley relay), Christian Gilio-Malabre (6th 400 individual medley, 5th 200 breast), Sam Holbech (7th 100 breast), Nead Kojic (5th 200 free relay, 4th 100 fly), Omer Korkmaz (4th 200 back, 4th 100 back), John McCarren (8th 200 free), Mizell McEachin (8th 400 free relay, 5th 100 free, 5th 100 back, 4th 200 fly, 7th 400 medley relay), David Pedo (8th 400 free relay), Leo Powers (7th 400 medley relay), Cristian Remache (8th 200 back, 8th 100 fly), Joe Rodriguez-LaLlave (8th 400 free relay), Vasilis Salatas (5th 200 free relay, 7th 500 free, 5th 200 individual medley), Jasper Schnieders-Smith (4th 200 free, 5th 200 free relay), Iris Shen (6th 100 breast, 7th 200 medley relay), Sumner Smith (6th 100 breast, 7th 400 medley relay), and Caitlyn Tagliareni (7th 1000 free, 7th 200 free relay, 7th 100 fly).  

The YMCA of Montclair Dolphins swim team offers a year-round opportunity for competitive swimming in both YMCA and USA Swimming competitions as well as seasonal instructional clinics for aspiring competitive athletes. The team is comprised of girls and boys from age 6 through high school. More than 200 athletes train with the team each year. They compete at all levels, based on their skill set.

For more information about the Montclair YMCA Dolphins swim team, contact head coach Paulo Madeira at [email protected] or 973-744-3400.

Editor’s note: Check back later tomorrow for photos.