Somerset Valley Y Wins 7th State Championship

The Somerset Valley YMCA swim team captured its seventh overall, and sixth consecutive, state championship at the 2015 NJ YMCA State Championships last month.

Eighty-five Somerset Valley YMCA swimmers competed at the YMCA 13-and-over State Championships, held at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, from March 12 through March 15.

According to the Somerset Valley YMCA, the 15-18 year old girls placed first, while the 15-18 year old boys placed second in their age groups. Combined with the scores earned by younger swimmers at the YMCA 12-and-Under State Championships held last month in Ocean County, the team landed in first place overall out of 50 teams, edging Lakeland Hills YMCA and Red Bank YMCA by less than 100 points.

“This was a true team effort that came down to the wire,” head coach Dan Roth said in a release from the Somerset Valley YMCA. “Three great teams battled back and forth at every session of both meets to result in the closest margin of victory in the history of our program. It was great to see the determination of our older swimmers on display throughout the weekend. We have a very special group of seniors leading our program.”

The swim team defended state titles in both the 15-18 year old girls and boys 400 medley relays. The boys’ relay race was a decisive three-second victory, breaking the team’s own Franklin and Marshall pool record set last season. Senior Brad Zdroik of Hillsborough High School, who recently won two individual NJSIAA High School State Championships, joined fellow seniors Winston Chu of St. Peters Prep, Joe Delbuono of Rutgers Prep and junior Sam Hendrix also of Hillsborough High School, in the record setting race.

“Our boys are on a great run in the medley relays, and to be faster than we were at this meet last year is encouraging for Y Nationals,” Roth added.

The Somerset Valley YMCA swim team now has seven state championships, (2006, 2010-2015) and is currently ranked No. 42 nationally in U.S.A. Swimming’s virtual club ranking. In 2015, the program was awarded Silver Medal Status by U.S.A. Swimming.

(Photos courtesy of Somerset Valley YMCA)