FSPY Swimmers Sparkle at YMCA Silver Championships

The Fanwood Scotch Plains Swim team (FSPY) recently competed at the YMCA Silver Championships finishing third place overall in team points and posting numerous top finishes. The team also set several meet records and garnered 11 first-place finishes and 41 top three finishes. In addition they posted YMCA “Gold” State Championship times in over 20 events.

Meet records and first-place finishes were had in the following relays: the girls 13-14 200 Yard Medley relay team of Sydney VonOehsen, Gina Bratti, Anna Dunchus and Olivia Barcia; the girls 15-18 400 Yard Freestyle Relay team of Veronica Drozdzewicz, Casey Daudelin, Kate Musso and Amanda Banasiak (setting a meet record by over 5 seconds); and the boys 15-18 400 yard medley team of Eric Chang, Nolan Kearns, Tim Magier and Henry Chang (a meet record by more than 3 seconds).  FSPY relay teams finished in the top three in seven of the 16 relays held.

In the individual events FSPY swimmers excelled as well with the girls gaining three first-place finishes, three meet records and 15 top three finishes. For the 11-12s, top three finishers were Sophia Iacona who was second in the 200 yard Backstroke and third in the 200 Breaststroke, and Amanda Pyle who was third in the 50 Butterfly and 200 IM. For the 13-14 girls, Barcia added to her relay win with a first in the 50 Free, a second in the 100 Butterfly and a third in the 200 Freestyle, while VonOehsen was third in the 1000 Freestyle. For the 15-18 girls, Banasiak was first in the 200 Freestyle, with a meet record, and third in the 100 Back.  Drozdzewicz had a meet record and first place in the 1000 Free and was second in the 400 IM. Daudelin was third in the 50 Free and Jillian Breckenridge captured two third-place finishes, in the 1000 and 1650 distance Freestyle events.

Not to be outdone, the boys performed well in the individual events setting three meet records and capturing five first-place and 19 top-three finishes. For the 9-10 boys, Brandon Cortez was third in the 50 Free, while Hirad Sharifian was first in the 50 Fly and second in the 200 IM. For the 11-12 boys, Alex Sherwood was second in the 100 Breast and third in the 100 IM.  Michael Halaj was first in the 200 Breast while Matthew Chen touched second in the 50 Free and Tomas Moore grabbed third in the 200 Back. Zach Kronheimer placed in the top three in five events, scoring a meet record first place in the 100 Back, second in the 200 Breast and 200 IM, and third in the 100 Fly and 200 Free. The 15-18s saw Kevin Fleck post two first-place finishes in the 1000 and 1650 distance Freestyle events, E. Chang grab second in the 500 Free, and Kearns touch second in the 200 Fly and third in the 500 Free.

The Y is the nation’s leading nonprofit committed to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. For information on membership or programs, or to request a schedule of classes, please call the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA at (908) 889-8880 or visit the Y’s website at www.fanwoodscotchplainsymca.org. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify.