FSPY Swimmers Make Splash at NJ Junior Olympics

A small group of Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA ("FSPY") swimmers made a big splash at the New Jersey Junior Olympics, held at Rutgers University on March 19 and 20.

Daniel Pesin (100 back, 200 back), Keith Monteiro (100 back) and Rebecca Dunn (100 butterfly) qualified to compete in the YMCA Long Course Championship meet. Qualifying for additional events at the YMCA Short Course National Championship meet in April were Jessica Colucci (200 freestyle), and Molly Gaynor (100 freestyle). New FSPY team member Ana Bogdanovski was impressive in her FSPY debut making finals at the meet in two events, the 50 and 100 freestyle.

Gaynor was also a member of three record-setting relays with Katy Comer, Jodie Thompson, and Sarah Cronin. This foursome captured first place in both the 400 freestyle and 400 medley relays in the 13-14 age group, breaking the existing team records by over 15 seconds. The girls also formed the 800 freestyle relay, which finished ninth in open competition and broke the 13-14 age group team record by over 21 seconds. 

Freestyler Micaela Valli led a strong showing by the 9-10 age group as she set new team records in both the 200 and 500 freestyle events, placing eighth in each. She also took ninth in the 100 free, and 13th in the 50 free. Valli, Erika Frazier, Julie Stankiewicz, and Natalie Jablonski formed the fourth place 200 freestyle relay and seventh place 200 medley relay. Also scoring in individual events were relay members Stankiewicz (50 back and 50 fly) and Frazier (50 fly). Leading the way for the boys in this age group was Brody Rash who scored in three individual events (100 free, 50 back, 50 free). Rash was joined by Nick Heath, Joshua Davidson, and Tyler Daniskas on the seventh-place 200 freestyle relay and the 12th place 200 medley relay.

For the 13-14 boys, Tyler Lessner scored in the 100 fly and 50 free, while Ryan Gajdzisz placed in the 100 back, and Anthony Gurrieri in the 50 free. Together with Jeffrey Peart, the boys clinched fourth place in the 400 medley relay. Twelve-year-old Jason Steinberg scored in the 100- and 50-yard breaststroke.