Sophomore Richard Poplawski
WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall Prep swimming team had an outstanding week last week. On Monday, Feb. 21, the fourth-seeded Pirates traveled to the Neptune Aquatic Center in Neptune City to take on top-seeded St. Augustine Prep in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Non-Public A state tournament semifinals. The Pirates won, 86-84, and raised their record to 11-0 on the season. Sophomore Cormac Rouse, sophomore Aryan Kapoor, senior Connor Townson, and sophomore Richard Poplawski came in first in the 400-yard freestyle relay to win it for the Pirates. They were two seconds faster than the Hermits. Freshman Karl Burghardt, Townson, Poplawski and senior Dylan Negron also won the 200 medley relay in 1:36.51. Poplawski took the 200 freestyle in 1:43.71, and Negron won the 100 fly in :51.51. Poplawski continued his stellar day with a 4:42.71 finish for first in the 500 freestyle. Townson won the 100 back as well, in :54.25, and junior Kyler Alcebar took the 100 breaststroke in :59.69.
On Saturday, Feb. 26, the Pirates traveled to Gloucester County Institute of Technology in Deptford Township to take on third-seed Christian Brothers Academy in the NJSIAA Non-Public A finals. Seton Hall Prep notched its first-ever state title, defeating Christian Brothers Academy, 93-77. The Pirates accumulated eight first-place finishes.
SHP head coach Joe Alexander said, “It was our fastest meet of the year. We anticipated a very close meet, and our guys rose to the occasion, just an overall team effort. It’s the sixth time we have reached the finals.”
Poplawski led the Pirates to wins in the 200 freestyle in 1:44.30 and 500 freestyle in 4:43.29, while Townson zipped to a season-best time of 1:54.88 in the 200 individual medley. Negron sealed the Pirates’ title with a win in the 100-yard breaststroke in 57.70, with a second-place finish by Alcebar. In the 200 medley relay, which was the first event of the afternoon, Seton Hall — Burghardt, Negron, Poplawski, and Kapoor — won in 1:36.45. Rouse registered a win in the 100 freestyle in 47.41; and Rouse, senior Dominic Ancey, senior Jose Rodriguez-LaLlave and Kapoor won the 200 freestyle relay in 1:29.21. In the 400 freestyle relay, the Pirates — Rouse, Townson, Negron and Poplawski — won in 3:14.21.
Alexander added, “In all my years, when I started way back, St. Joseph’s (Metuchen) was the class of Non-Public A. Since then, it has been mostly CBA and St. Augustine. To beat all three of these teams this postseason, I consider it to be an unbelievable accomplishment. They are all the class of the Non-Public group.”
In the quarterfinals, Seton Hall Prep defeated St. Joseph (Metuchen), 100-70, at New Jersey Institute of Technology.
CBA head coach Alex Fitton said, “We swam our best meet of the year. But today, that just was not enough. Seton Hall’s road to get here is unbelievable. Their coaches are great guys, and the swimmers are so polite. I’m happy for them.”
Photos Courtesy of Rich Morris/SHP
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