Mountainside Swim Team Wraps Up Strong Season

The Mountainside Swim Team had just one mission coming into Wednesday morning's meet against South Orange at the Mountainside Community Pool: keep the win streak going.

The team had been on a two-meet win streak -- the most in three years -- and was aiming for a .500 record. Before the two consecutive wins, the team hadn't won a meet in two years.

So what's changed?

"We have a lot of the same swimmers (as last year) but (I think it's) just overall team spirit - we want it," said coach Jessica Nichols.

Unfortunately, a third consecutive win did not come to pass as the team lost 238-169 but it was not for lack of effort. The team turned in some outstanding performances from key swimmers who found their way to a first place finishes.

One such performance was from Stephanie Judge, who won first place in the girls' 11-12 year-old freestyle competition. She has not lost a race this season.

"(Winning) was hard yet easy," Judge said. When asked for the deciding factor in her race, Judge said: "You practice and you have a passion for swimming and concentrate." 

Then there were sparking performances by Aidan Donahue, who is racing in her first year in the 11-12 year-old age group.

Donohue placed first in the girls' 11-12 year old breast stroke and second place in the 11-12 year old butterfly. 

"She just moved up into the age group," Nichols said. "She just started swiming for me five years ago but she was awful.

Now she's a budding star. What happened?

"I dont know… I liked it and I just stuck with it," Donohue said. "I like to try really hard an I guess swimming is just my thing. And this (breast stroke) is my event."

The boys, for thier part, turned in some steller performances as  well.

Ted Hannan swam away with a first place finish in the boys 11-12 year old backstroke.

"I'm pretty good at backstroke but there is this other kid who is a year older than me," Hannan said. "And he beats me so I get second most of the time."

Still, Hannan said that he has five first place finishes on the season and has even thought through his goals for the season.

"I have a goal - I want to try and get into the meet of champions," Hannan said. "That is my biggest concern to go to the divisionals and then get to the meet of champions. I think I am doing pretty good for a kid who is youngest in his age group!"

Hannan also competes in the freestyle. On Wednesday he had a mechanical malfunction with his goggles and that may have slowed him a bit. He placed second.

To qualify for the divisionals, a swimmer has to be one of the 16th fastest in the group, which in this case is Group II. From there, the divisions complete and come away with a fastest group of swimmers who then compete in the Meet of Champions on July 28.