Sports Wrap: HH Swimmers Make a Mark in First BC Tourney

The Hasbrouck Heights swimming teams have set several marks this season in their inaugural campaign.

The Heights girls team finished a robust eighth place at the recent Bergen County Swimming Championships in New York state.

"Our swimmers were allowed to perform on the large stage that was provided at the county meet," said Hasbrouck Heights swimming head coach Tom Romano.  "Our Girls came in eighth in Bergen (many teams did not score) which is a wonderful accomplishment for our first year program."

Romano admitted that he did not know what to expect. "I really did not have any expectations going in since this is our maiden season," said Romano in the initial voyage for the program.

Both the boys and girls teams will travel to Lyndhurst on Saturday for the Heights first trip to the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference championships.

The Girls are 4-4 in the NJIC and 4-5 overall. The boys team is 0-7 and 0-8 in the NJIC and 0-8 overall. In the inaugural year the boys team only has a couple of swimmers, but the school is hoping the word gets out and will increase next year.

The biggest breakout in the inaugural season has been a freshman Kim Sembrano who collected the best results at the Bergen County meet with a third in the butterfly and a fourth in the 100-yard backstroke.

Sembrano took a third in the 100 butterfly with a time of 59.59 while seeded at 1:02.82 and the fourth in the backstroke with a time of 59.69, quicker than her seeded time of 1:03.69.

"Kim is a fantastic swimmer, as a high school freshman.  She came to us that way after swimming many years with her Dad's swim club team, The Flyers," said Romano.

The Heights head coach added that Sembrano has qualified for two individual events at the New Jersey Individual Swim Tournament in March.

In addition Sembrano helped the Heights 200-yard freestyle team finished 11th out of 15 teams. Along with Sembrano Raquel Cannarozzi, Tina Messery and Alexis Diaz contributed to the relay results.

Indoor track

The Hasbrouck Heights girls team went into New York City and came home with the Bergen County small school title at the 168th Street Armory.

In addition the Aviators boys squad came home with a second place in the team standings, only behind the Group 2 Ridgefield Park, 88 to 75.50. The Heights boys did out score Ramsey by two.

Led by a pair of wins in relays, the Lady Aviators out ran Ramsey in the point total by five, 79-74.

The Heights shuttle hurdle team defeated Ramsey in the race as the senior-dominated group of Jennifer White, Haleigh Machtemes and Rayn Moses along with sophomore Jenna DiGiacinto came in first with a time of 34.60.

And the Aviators later would also defeat Ramsey in the 1,600 sprint medley that was dominated by sophomores in DiGiacinto, Daniella Macera and Danielle Cannici along with Victoria McKnight with a time of 4:37.50.

Two individuals also took home gold in the indoor meet with White capturing the triple jump crown with a leap of 35-feet-3-inches while junior Irene Cedano collected gold in the shot put with a throw of 32-7.25.

On the boys side the Aviators shuttle hurdle team, Seven Nielsen and Chris Connors took home gold in the county indoor meet.

Connors continued their excellence in the field events as they went one-two in the shot put. Connors took first with a throw of 49-2 and Anthony Seidel came in second with a throw of 48-10.75.

Also, Nielsen dominated the competition which a jump of 44-10.5, more than five feet ahead of Ridgefield Park's Michael Reyes.

In the shuttle hurdle Heights outran their rival, Ramsey by a time of 31.60 to 32.10. The Aviators were led by three seniors, Mike Pikowski, Mark Monohan and Nielsen along with junior Roland Gamez.

Boys basketball

It was a mixed bag last week for the Heights boys hoops, but it was not on the court.

The Aviators found out that they are part of the Bergen Invitational Tournament and will host Dumont in the play-in game on Monday at 6 p.m.

The Heights though needed to win of the two games this week to get an automatic bid for the state playoffs.

But the Aviators will have to collect a wild card bid to make the state tournament after Heights lost to Lyndhurst, 62-53, on Tuesday and dropped a 49-39 decision to Weehawken at home on Thursday.

With the state cutoff on Saturday, Heights will try to go into the state tournament with an 8-10 record. The state tournament does not start until the end of February.

In the loss to Weehawken, Heights perimeter shooting could not keep up the Indians inside that were able to out rebound the Aviators.

Joe Crabbe and Michael Schroback led the way offensively again for Heights with 13 and 12 points respectively. Crabbe dropped four, three pointers in the NJIC Meadowlands B battle.

In the loss to Lyndhurst, Schroback was raining threes with six to back his team-high 23 points. Allen Ernst added 11 points for Heights.

Girls basketball

Hasbrouck Heights (6-10) has struggled recently, but got back on the winning side with a 33-11 victory over Weehawken on the road on Thursday night.

The Lady Aviators defense came to play as they did not allow a Lady Indians point until the second quarter.

Heights Daniella Castellanos continued her impressive play with a game-high 21 points including a pair of three-point buckets. Kristen Delcalzo added six points to the Aviators victory.

Wrestling

The Hasbrouck Heights/Wood-Ridge team might have not made it into the state team tournament, but the Aviators/Blue Devils took care of Eastside, 53-24, at home on Thursday.

Heights registered four pins in the independent dual match from Mathew Innis, Edward Cox, Alex Hodulik and Mauro Altamura.

Cox had one of the quickest pins of the season as he dropped Eastside's Ery Nunez in 18 seconds in the 145-pound match. Altamura and Hodulik also pinned their opponents in the first round. Hodulik dropped Eastside's Christian Melendez in a brisk 1:01 at 160 pounds while Altamura pinned Luis Santana at 1:26 at 182.

Hasbrouck Heights varsity schedule

Monday, Feb. 6

Indoor track - Heights at invitational, 168th Street Armory, New York City

Boys basketball - Dumont at Heights, 6 p.m., Bergen Invitational Tournament

Wednesday, Feb. 8

Wrestling - Heights at Verona, 6:30 p.m.

Girls basketball - Immaculate Conception at Hasbrouck Heights, 7 p.m.

Indoor track - Heights at state sectionals, John Bennett Athletic Center, 3:45 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 9

Indoor track - Heights at invitational, FDU-Rothman Center, TBD