Top Summer Swimmers From Township Compete in Meet of Champions

The top swimmers from 19 towns, including Morris Township, converged on New Providence Thursday for the New Jersey Summer Swim League Meet of Champions.

These swimmers, ages 7 to 18, were from four separate divisions and had competed in their own Divisional Meet on Monday to get here -- those with the fastest times across all of those meets made it to the championship meet.

The Meet of Champions was hosted by the New Providence Piranhas at the team’s facility which has two pools with lap lanes – one for warming up while other races are going on.

It's a meet for individual swimmers, not for teams. Swimmers compete against each other and against their own personal best times.

But, for fun – and something the teams love – officials tally up all the points scored by the individuals and rank the teams accordingly.

This year, Morris Township ranked third overall, with the girls' team placing third and the boys' team sixth.

The highlights for Morris Township were multiple top-three finishes:

• Emily Ashton was 1st in the Girls 13 & Over 100 SC Meter IM
• Sophie Thomsen was 1st in the Girls 11-12 50 SC Meter Freestyle
• Michael Lopinto was 1st in the Boys 15-18 50 SC Meter Breaststroke
• Michael Lopinto was 2nd in the Boys 13 & Over 100 SC Meter IM
• Emily Ashton was 2nd in the Girls 15-18 50 SC Meter Breaststroke
• Hans Thomsen was 2nd in the Boys 11-12 50 SC Meter Breaststroke
• Sophie Thomsen was 2nd in the Girls 11-12 50 SC Meter Backstroke
•  Alexis Gihorski was 3rd in the Girls 12 & Under 100 SC Meter IM 
•  Alexis Gihorski was 3rd in the Girls 11-12 50 SC Meter Breaststroke
• Tommy Cromie was 3rd in the Boys 11-12 50 SC Meter Butterfly
• Steven Cheng was 3rd in the Boys 13-14 50 SC Meter Freestyle
• Ryan Miller was 3rd in the Boys 13-14 50 SC Meter Butterfly

Combined Team Rankings (Not official, just for fun). 

1          Westfield

2          New Providence

3          Morris Township

4          Livingston

5          West Orange

6          Springfield

7          South Orange

8          Florham Park

9          West Caldwell

10        Madison

11        Berkeley Heights

12        Summit

13        Cedar Grove

14        Mountainside

15        Millburn

16        Verona

17      West Essex

18      East Hanover

19      Maplewood

Girls Team Rankings

1       Westfield                              
2       New Providence                          
3       Morris Township                          
4       Livingston                              
5       West Caldwell                           
6       West Orange                             
7       Florham Park                            
8       South Orange                             
9       Cedar Grove                             
10      West Essex                               
11      Berkeley Heights                         
12      Verona                                   
13      Mountainside                            
14      Madison                                  
15      Springfield                              
16      Maplewood                               
17      Summit                                   
18      Millburn                                 
19      East Hanover                             


Boys Team Rankings

1       Westfield                             
2       New Providence                         
3       Livingston                             
4       Springfield                           
5       Madison                               
6       Morris Township                        
7       West Orange                           
8       Summit                                 
9       Millburn                               
10      South Orange                           
11      East Hanover                           
12      Florham Park                           
13      West Caldwell                         
14      Berkeley Heights                       
15      Mountainside                           
16      Maplewood                              
17      Verona                                  
18      Cedar Grove                              
19      West Essex