Berkeley Aquatic Club Challenges Princeton Team at Swim Meet

Sixty-one members of the Berkeley Aquatic Club (BAC) Race Team travelled to Princeton on Nov. 16 to compete in a swim meet hosted by the Princeton Piranha Swim Team.    

The Berkeley Aquatic Club splits their age group swimmers into three equal dual meet teams called Thunder, Wave and Lightening. For one meet a year, the Berkeley Aquatic Club selects members from the three equal dual meet teams, to form its most competitive group, the BAC Race Team.  This was the annual competition of this group.   

Swimmers on the Berkeley Aquatic Club’s Race Team range in age from 6 years old to 13 years old. This most competitive group in the age group program at the BAC was given the opportunity to compete in every stroke: Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, the Individual Medley, IM, and the relay races. The length of the races depended on the age group, with 25 to 50 yards for younger swimmers, but 100 to 200 for older swimmers. Age wasn’t always the determining factor thought several younger swimmers went on the 100 yard races.

There were three six years old swimmers who had the honor of being part of the Race Team at the Berkeley Aquatic Club, Nell Ducey, Francesca Cignarella and her brother Santino. Santino placed in four events as a 6 year old. He was first in the 25 yard Freestyle and 2nd in the 25 yard Butterfly, 25 yard Breaststroke and the 100 yard IM. Nell Ducey, Of Summit, was 3rd in the 25 yard Breaststroke, but won the 25 yard Freestyle. The six year olds performed well, both swimming the difficult 100 yard IM. The performance of the Cignarella children, who live in Bridgewater, was most impressive.

Many swimmers ages 7 and 8 placed in the Top Three at the Meet. In the 25 yard Freestyle Katya Ivanov, 7 of New Providence was 2nd and Aaron Gao, 7 of Basking Ridge, was 2nd in the boys race. Emma Yang, 8 of Summit, was 2nd in the 50 yard Freestyle, while Riley McCann, 8, was 3rd.  Brenda Zhang, 8 of Green Brook, swam the 100 yard Freestyle taking 2nd place.  In the 25 yard Backstroke Simon Stryszak, 7 of Chatham, won while Aaron Gao was 2nd and Katya Ivanov won among the girls.   In the 50 yard Backstroke, Emma Yang, was 2nd. In the 25 yard Breaststroke Simon Stryszak was 1st. Eight year old Jessica Park of Watchung swam the longer race, a 50 yard Breaststroke and took 3rd place.  In the Butterfly 25 yard race, Simon Stryszak was 1st among boys and Aaron Gao was 3rd. In the 50 yard fly, Brenda Zhang, 8 of Green Brook, was 2nd and Bryan Zhang, also 8of Green Brook,  was 3rd. In the IM Simon Stryszak won and Bryan Zhang was 3rd. Katya Ivanov was 2nd among girls in the IM. There were 19 Berkeley Aquatic swimmers 8 years old or younger in the Top Three finishers per event, several more than once.

Twenty three Berkeley Aquatic Club Race Team members ages 9 to 10 attended the meet. In the Freestyle races Tamsin Formon, 9 of Gillette, was 1st in the 50 yard race, as was Andrew Lim, 9 of Edison.   In the 100 free Lily Barisonek, 9 of New Vernon, and Michael Speer, 9 of Summit, were both 3rd, while Tracy Lu, 9 of Basking Ridge, was 1st.   Ten year olds in the 100 yard Freestyle finished well with Gavin Formon, of Gillette, in 1st place and Mathew Stryszak, of Chatham, in 3rd among males. Clarrisa Sabin, 10 of Springfield, placed 2nd and Catherine Meisner, 10 of Berkeley Heights, 3rd in the woman’s 100 free.   In the 50 Freestyle 10 year olds Rachel Heeren, of Berkeley Heights, placed 2nd and Abhinav Khandrika, of Milburn, placed 3rd.  In the 50 and 100 yard Freestyle races, the Berkeley Aquatic Club Race Team, was in the Top Three Finishers 11 times.

Of the 9 and 10 year olds that participated, several had a strong showing in the Backstroke. Among 9 year olds in the 50 yard Backstroke, Tamsin Formon, was 1st in the girls race and for boys Andrew Rampaul-Pino, of Berkeley Heights, was 2nd and Raphael Rivera, of Green Brook, 3rd. Among the 10 year olds, Vivian Zhang, of Green Brook, took 1st in the 100 Backstroke, while Rachel Heeren took 1st in the 50 yard race.  Chase Polito, 10 of Basking Ridge, took 2nd in the 50 yard race, while Emery Goswasi took 3rd.  That was seven Top Three finishes in the Backstroke for the Race Team.

Five Berkeley Aquatic Club Race Team Members placed in the Top Three among 10 year olds in the Breaststroke. These included Ashley Chang, of Berkeley Heights, who was 3rd in the 50 yard race, while Ryan Park, Watchung, was 1st and Justin Li, of Warren was 3rd. Clarrisa Sabin, 10 of Springfield, and Catherine Meisner, 10 of Berkeley Heights, took 1st and 3rd respectively in the 100 Breaststroke.  As 9 year old girl, Tamsin Formon, won the 50 Breast, Roxanne Sabel, of New Providence, was 2nd.  Among 9 year old boys in the 50 Breasts, they took the Top Three places in the 50 Breast. Andrew Lim, Michael Speer and Raphael Rivera were 1, 2 and 3 respectively. The Five 10 years old to place were not outdone, by the sweep made by the 9 year old boys.

Six of the 9 and 10 year olds placed in the Butterfly events. Andrew Rampaul-Pino, 9 of Berkeley Heights, was 1st for the boys in the 50 and Roxanne Sabel, of New Providence, was 3rd in the 50 yard race among 9 year old girls. Gavin Formon won among 10 year olds in the 50 fly, and Nick Gold, of Berkeley Heights, was 2nd.  Clarissa Sabin was 2nd among 10 year old girls in the 50 fly. Vivian Zhang swam the longer 100 yard Butterfly and placed 3rd.

In the IM, the nine year olds took 1st in the both the male and female races: Tracy Lu for the girls and Andrew Lim for the boys. Lily Barisonek was third. Among 10 year olds in the IM, Gavin Formon was 1st and Rachel Heeren took 3rd among women.

Eleven Race Team members participated among the 11 and 12 year old age group and many placed in the Top Three. In the 50 yard Freestyle Hailey Harkins, 11 of Chatham, was 1st and Olivia Richardson, also 11 of Chatham, was 3rd among girls. Amanda Zheng, of Berkeley Heights, swam the 100 yard Freestyle in the 11 year old race and came in 3rd.  Twelve year old, Nicole Sabin, of Springfield, won the 50 free, while the 100 yard free was won by Berkeley Heights residents Thomas Shepanzyk among 12 year old boys and Bailey Gold who placed 2nd among 12 year old girls. In the Backstroke, Amanda Zheng was 2nd and Olivia Richardson 3rd in the 50 yard race for 11 year olds. Bailey Gold won among girls age 12 in the 100 yard Backstroke, Thomas Shepanzyk was 3rd among the males in this event.  Chelsea Lu, age 11, won the 50 yard Breaststroke. Thomas Shepanzyk was 3rd in the 100 yard Breaststroke.  In the Butterfly, Hailey Harkins won the 50 yard race for 11 year old girls, while Nicole Sabin won for 12 year olds. Brendan Hammond, 12 of Flanders, won the 50 fly among the boys. Bailey Gold and Anshul Kamath, 12 of Short Hills, both swam the 100 yard Butterfly, each placing 2nd in the respective group.   In the IM Hailey Harkins won the 11 year old girls 100 yard race. Brendon Hammond swam the 200 IM and won. Nicole Sabin placed 2nd in the 200 IM in her age group.

Kristina Sullivan, 13 of Chatham,  took 2nd in both the 50 free and 100 Breast, plus made a 3rd place finish in the 200IM.  Zack Arber, 13 of Watchung, was 2nd in the 100 free and 1st in the 100 back.  Elise Debrot, 13 of New Providence, was 3rd in the 50 free and 100 fly.  Oliver Pickering, 13 of Milburn, won the 100 free and was 2nd in the 100 Breaststroke. Will Covino, 13 of Chatham, was second in two events, the 50 free and the 200 IM.  A.J. Profaca won the 100 Breaststroke and came in 3rd in the 100 Free. Aidan Herrighty, 13 of Mountainside, was 3rd in the 200 IM.

Four swimmers achieved new “Gold” times from the Race Team at the meet, while some got a Silver time.  A Gold time entitles a swimmer to attend the Junior Olympics in the spring. Hailey Harkins took 1.66 seconds off her prior best time in the 100 yard IM for a Gold time of 1:08.96. Rachel Heeren took off 6.64 seconds in the 100 IM for a Gold time of 1:14.77. Anshul Kamath improved by 4.66 to obtain the Gold time in the 100 yard butterfly. Abhinav Khandrika, 10 of Milburn, took off 4.62 seconds in his IM getting a Silver time. Jack Mazzucco, 12 of Gillette, got a Gold time in the 50 yard Freestyle by swimming the first leg of the relay. Catherine Meisner took 14.60 seconds off her 100 Breaststroke to get the Gold time. Her sister, Julia Meisner, brought in a Gold time in the 200 IM by knocking 10.69 seconds off her prior best time. Kristina Sullivan took 5.04 seconds off her 200 IM recording a Silver time.  The meet provided the opportunity for these swimmers to achieve Gold times in these events for the first time.

Many Berkeley Aquatic Club swimmers have already qualified for Junior Olympics this spring. Those with Silver times have come closer to doing so. There is much time left this season to achieve personal goals, best of luck to all. It was a most successful meet for the annual competition of the BAC Race Team.

This press release was contributed by the Berkeley Aquatic Club.