Ridge Swim Continues To Prove Strong Start To Season

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Ridge swim team continued its strong start to the season with two more wins this week.

On Tuesday, Dec. 13 the girls' team turned in an outstanding team performance to beat last season’s County and Skylands Conference Champions Mount St Mary, winning 102 to 68.

Ridge girls showed their strength from the start, by taking first and second place in the 200 Medley relay. Emily Thompson, Niamh O’Sullivan, Eszter Kiss and Maggie Luo took first place, with Victoria Doucette, Kinga Kiss, Amelia Ellis and Arissa Xiang taking second.

Three swimmers won both of their individual events; team captain and meet MVP Emily Wang won the 200 Free and 500 Free, Thompson won the 200 IM and the 100 Fly and Eszter Kiss was victorious in the 100 Free and 100 Breast.

The girls continued their strong showing by winning both freestyle relays. The quartet of Giulia Beverini, Eszter Kiss, Kinga Kiss and Wang won the 200 Free relay, while Wang, Beverini, Sammie Oei and Thompson took victory in the 400 Free relay.

This was an exciting performance from Ridge girls, who narrowly lost to Mount St Mary last season. This year the team showed not only strength but also depth, securing a string of second and third places and winning points in every single event.

Both boys and girls teams were in action on Thursday, Dec. 15 against Hunterdon Central. The boys won convincingly 125 to 43 and the girls won 106 to 64.

Ridge boys dominated their match-up, taking all three relay wins and winning all eight individual events.

In the relays, the foursome of Garrett Gould, Dean Capizzi, Mitch Ferraioli and Gabe Beverini won the 200 Medley relay, Anson Chen, Wyatt Lake, Evan Kelly and Capizzi won the 200 Free relay, followed by Lake, Adam Ibrahim, Anurag Bhat and Darshan Hariharan who took victory in the 400 Free relay.

The individual event winners were as follows: 200 Free Bhat, 200 IM Chen, 50 Free Beverini, 100 Fly Jack Thompson, 100 Free Capizzi, 500 Free Youssef Elnawawi, 100 Back Ferraioli and 100 Breast Gould.

Ridge girls also secured a win. Alongside wins in all three relays, individual event victories came from Eszter Kiss in the 200 Free and 100 Fly, Emily Thompson in the 200 IM and the 500 Free, and Kinga Kiss in the 100 Breast.

Meet MVPs were George Chamberlain and Maggie Luo.

This coming week, Ridge meets Watchung Hills away on Tuesday, Dec. 20 and Mendham at home on Thursday, Dec. 22.

— Submitted by Ailsa Ferguson