By DAVE O’SULLIVAN
Staff Writer
SEWELL — Seniors on the Ocean City girls swimming team don’t know what it’s like to lose at a sectional championship meet. And they never will.
That’s because the Red Raiders came storming back from an early 42-35 deficit to edge Moorestown, 87.5-82.5, on Wednesday afternoon in the South Group B championship at Gloucester County Institute of Technology. Second-seeded Ocean City took the lead for good by taking first and third in the 200 freestyle relay, and held off top-seeded Moorestown with a first-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay to capture its fourth consecutive South Jersey title.
Upstart Oakcrest, which grabbed the No. 2 seed in Group C and cruised past Middle Township in the semifinals, ran into a buzz saw in top-seeded Haddonfield, which built up a big lead early and won easily, 113-57. In the Group A meet, defending champion Egg Harbor Township wasn’t able to repeat as a strong Cherry Hill East team got an early lead and never let up in a 99-71 victory. Holy Spirit, another Cape-Atlantic League team involved in the state playoffs, was knocked out in the second round of Non-Public B in a 106-61 loss to Villa Walsh.
“This is four times in a row. We just can’t stop,” said an excited Sam Horowitz, one of several seniors who helped Ocean City win its fourth straight title.
Ocean City trailed the Quakers, 32-29, heading into the break, but head coach Steve Warrington got the squad pumped up and the Red Raiders steadily closed the gap, pulling to within 55.5-54.5 three events later. Then, in the 200 freestyle relay, the team of Maggie Wallace, Andrea Teofanova, Amanda Nunan and Ryann Styer captured first place to put the Red Raiders in the lead for the first time.
Still, Ocean City led by just three points heading into the final event, the 400 relay.
“In the beginning, I was starting to get nervous. Then, toward the end, I was really starting to get nervous,” Horowitz said. “But Aleva (Parker), Amanda, Ryann, they all brought it home. I couldn’t be more proud of this team.”
“In the beginning it was rough, but I knew we had some events coming up where we could pull through with wins. There was a lot going on, but we always felt like we had a chance,” said Parker, a senior who scored key points for the Red Raiders in several races. “That relay is one of our strongest relays, and we made it that way in case it comes down to that. We were able to get it done today.”
Nunan, one of the top freestylers in the state, scored individual wins in the 100 and 200, and also was a part of two winning relays. Styer, one of the best 50 freestylers in the state, clocked in at a blistering 23.70 to win that event and also was on both winning relay teams. Wallace had a big day for Ocean City as well, winning the 500 freestyle in 4:56.62 and contributing on both relays. Moorestown took first place in five of the 12 events, but it was the Red Raiders’ ability to rack up seconds and thirds that made the difference.
“I remember freshman year being so nervous, and now, as a senior, it’s unbelievable to be here for the fourth time in a row. It’s the greatest feeling in the world,” Horowitz said.
“It’s so exciting. I can’t think of anything better. That was our main goal this year, to win it for a fourth year in a row, and I’m just so happy we were able to do it,” Parker said. “We keep getting more people (out for the team), we keep working harder and bonding as a team, and people have picked it up in placed (in the lineup) where we lost good swimmers. Overall, we have a really good team that is very flexible and we do it all together.”
Ocean City advances to the state semifinals, where they will meet a yet-to-be-determined opponent at Passaic County Institute of Technology next Wednesday afternoon.
Group C; No. 1 Haddonfield 113, No. 2 Oakcrest 57: The Falcons got a big day from freshman Bella Pagan, who won a pair of individual events and was in on a winning relay, but the Bulldogs were simply too deep and powerful for Oakcrest to handle.
Haddonfield bolted to a 33-14 lead after three events, and after seven events led 68-26. Pagan won the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke, and teamed up with Tori DeLusant, Kayli Hernandez and Kaitlyn Stollenwerk to win the 400 freestyle relay.
Abigail Bentley had a monster day for Haddonfield, winning three individual races (50, 100 and 500 freestyles) while also helping the Bulldogs win the 200 freestyle and 200 medley relays.
Group A; No. 1 Cherry Hill East 99, No. 2 Egg Harbor Township 71: The Eagles got two individual wins each from Camryn Greenleaf and Grace Curry, but the Cougars piled up points with seconds and thirds to build on an early 41-21 lead. EHT shaved the lead down to 55-39 after Greenleaf won the 100 freestyle in 53.33 seconds, but after the 500 freestyle Cherry Hill East’s lead swelled to 62-48, despite EHT’s Caitlin Moore winning the event.
Greenleaf also won the 50 free, while Curry took first place in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke. The Cougars swept first place in all three relays, and also got a pair of individual wins from Grace Yoon, in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke.
Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays