Records Plummet as Swim Team Treads in New Water

The co-ed Cranford High School swim team had to separate for the first time this season at the Union County Swimming Championships Interscholastic Athletic Conference on Saturday. But the change didn't seem to faze the swimmers as the boys finished fourth and the girls finished seventh overall.

The Cougars took to the Rutgers University Pool feeling the adrenaline of their 16-0 season.

A girls 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay team of Jennifer Heine, Kathleen French, Ivanna Gomez, and Allison Schneider finished sixth in the county for both events. Schneider followed suit taking sixth in the 200 individual medley with French finishing 10th. She also finished third overall in the 500-yard freestyle with a personal best time of 5:16:38.

Kelsey Fried accomplished her personal goal for the seaon by swimming 1:11:59 in the 100-yard freestyle, three seconds faster than her previous best.

Megan Pijanowski, who has impressed her coaches with her decreasing times all season, swam the 100-yard freestyle in 1:08:34, taking two seconds off of her previous best time. Her sister, senior captain Katie Pijanowski, found her own personal best of 1:03:52 for her leg in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

Stephanie Bagniewski swam a 1:22:97 in the 100-yard backstroke with Jennifer Heine in front of her at 1:10:83.

Juliet Longo finished the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:21:50, her fastest time ever. Lori Joseph took the 200-yard freestyle in 2:45:25 just out-touching her teammate Galen Vosseller.

The girls finished seventh out of 17 teams.

"It was exciting to see what we could do on our own, as a girls team only," said French after the meet. "To defeat 10 teams in the county, especially Oak Knoll, Union Catholic, Johnson, and Union High was a real thrill for us. We finished behind Governor Livingston and we couldn't be happier. Everyone swam so well today."

"It was such a treat to see the girls look up at their times on the score board and get out of the pool with the biggest smiles on their faces, knowing they had accomplished a huge task and broke their own personal records. Their smiles and excited reactions make the entire season for us as coaches. I am so proud and happy for them on their achievements," said assistant coach Colleen Donnelly.

The boys weren't far behind.

"I told the boys about the girls' afternoon before they got into the water. We read off the list of personal best times, and amazing swims by their teammates," said head coach Barbara Kolesa. "I told them, this too, was to be their day. This was going to be Cranford's day. 'The girls set the precedent for the day, continue to feed off of that and I guarantee you everyone will have a personal best today.'"

A boys 200-yard medley relay team of Brian Woo, Nick Kalafatis, Eric Walano, and Connor Harkins took fifth overall in the event. The 200-yard freestyle had three personal bests with Brian Woo taking second in 1:48:87, Kalafatis finishing sixth in 1:56:50, and Dmitry Kotov having a best time of 2:18:42.

Walano finished sixth overall in the 50-yard freestyle in 23:46 and 11th overall in the 100-yard butterfly with a personal best of 58:44. The 100-yard butterfly also saw Zach Fried and Will Bender swim their personal bests in 1:08:39 and 1:23:13, respectively.

Harkins, Robert Lento and Kalafatis marked three of the fastest swims Cranford saw all season in the 100-yard freestyle event at 55:26, 55:37 and 52:92, respectively.

Woo broke the high school record in the 500-yard freestyle in 4:54:61. The record was previously set by Jimmy Sheerin. Woo also finished second overall in the event.

The 200-yard freestyle relay school record was previously set three years ago by Eric Walano, Sean French, Jonathan VanOstenbridge, and Mark Bagniewski. The current boys relay team chased this record all season, only to break it by three seconds at the championships. A boys relay team of Kalafatis, Lento, Harkins, and Walano finished the event in 1:34:54, winning fourth place. All four swam their own personal best 50-yard freestyle times during the event: Kalafatis in 23:80, Lento in 23:83, Harkins in 23:96, and Walano in 22:95.

"I was so pumped and excited going into this event," said Harkins. "We were so determined to break the record and I am so happy that we did it, I can't even describe it, it was such an amazing feeling and I will never forget it."

"I am so amazed and shocked at how fast everyone has swam today," said Walano. "The times are just incredible. It has been an amazing day."

Gabriel Nino swam his personal best of 1:14:35 in the 100-yard backstroke. Tom Marra finished 1:24:42 in the 100-yard breaststroke, and Evan Brawley went 1:18:76, both best times for the swimmers.

A team of Christian Woo, Kotov, Peter Gallo, and Brian Woo swam 3:51:55 in the 400-yard freestyle. Three of the swimmers marked their best times: Chris Woo in 1:00:29, Kotov in 1:01:47, and Gallo in 57:73.

"The team continues to amaze me, I am just so proud of them today for their accomplishments," said Kolesa.

The boys finished fourth overall, with only Westfield, Scotch Plains, and Summit ahead of them.

"Today was a tidal wave of success, and we are going to ride that wave right into Tuesday when we take on Johnson for what will be our last regular season

meet," said Donnelly. "We are hoping to finish this season 17-0 and win the first Union County Co-Ed Conference Championship on Tuesday."

This update provided by assistant coach Colleen Donnelly. If you see a game we were unable to cover, please feel free to send over the score and photos.

Final Times:
200 Yard Medley Relay:
2:05:12 (Heine, French, Gomez, Schneider)
1:51:04 (B. Woo, Kalafatis, Walano, Harkins)

200 Yard Freestyle
2:45:25 (Joseph)
2:45:45 (Vosseller)
2:18:42 (Kotov)
1:56:50 (Kalafatis)
1:48:87 (B. Woo)

200 Yard Individual Medley
2:28:70 (French)
2:35:73 (Heine)
2:18:23 (Schneider)
3:12:47 (Will Allen)
2:41:52 (Brian Leu)
2:39:10 (Peter Gallo)

50 Yard Freestyle
34:17 (Catherine Burns)
32:01 (Danielle Weinstein)
24:21 (Lento)
24:27 (Harkins)
23:46 (Walano)

100 Yard Butterfly
1:13:80 (Megan Byrne)
1:09:71 (Gomez)
1:23:13 (Will Bender)
1:08:39 (Zach Fried)
58:44 (Walano)

100 Yard Freestyle
1:11:59 (Fried)
1:08:34 (Megan Pijanowski)
55:26 (Harkins)
55:37 (Lento)
52:92 (Kalafatis)

500 Yard Freestyle
6:23:48 (Kelly Miller)
6:27:85 (Katie Pijanowski
5:16:38 (Schneider)
4:54:61 (Brian Woo)* School Record

200 Yard Freestyle Relay
1:51:49 (French, Heine, Gomez, Schneider)
1:34:54 (Kalafatis, Lento, Harkins, Walano)* School Record

100 Yard Backstroke
1:22:97 (Bagniewski)
1:15:21 (Gomez)
1:10:83 (Heine)
1:14:35 (Gabe Nino)
1:02:64 (Christian Woo)
1:31:44 (Matt Ghiretti)

100 Yard Breaststroke
1:25:06 (Kaitlin Hipkin)
1:21:50 (Juliet Longo)
1:14:37 (French)
1:32:50 (Dan Couto)
1:24:42 (Tom Marra)
1:18:76 (Evan Brawley)

400 Yard Freestyle Relay
4:28:32 (Megan Byrne, Megan Pijanowski, Katie Pijanowski, Kelly Miller)
3:51:55 (C. Woo, Kotov, Gallo, B. Woo)