Mountainside Swim Team Has Winning Spirit

Of the eight seasons that Jessica Nichols has been coaching the Mountainside Swim team, The 2011 season could perhaps be the most memorable.

This is the season that the team found a spark that propelled  it to win its first meet in as long as anyone can remember.  This is the first season that swimmers across all age groups found winning infectious by notching two consecutive wins (three overall). And this is the season that she has an unprecedented 30 swimmers in Thursday morning's coveted Meet of Champions in New Providence.

"This the first year I finally got everyone understanding that its not just my winter swimmers that help win meets, it's everybody," Nichols said. "The first meet we won was away not home where we always had problems getting kids to go. I think once the kids saw that we had everyone here, we had a chance. We got more involved in people realizing that we can do this."

Nichols said that traditionally swimmers who do not participate in a winter swim team perceive themselves at a disadvantage to those who swim in the winter. Most believe that more practice equals better results, but this season has been different.

In the 30 swimmers who qualified for the Meet of Champions, there are many who do not swim in for a winter team.

"I am really, really proud of those kids because it shows that its not just about the kids who swam all winter long," Nichols said. "if I can inspire kids who want to do this in the wintertime that is great."

Among the 20 teams competing within four central New Jersey groups, Mountainside will have 18 swimmers represented in the top 16. 

Key performers include Stephanie Judge in the 11-12 year old girls butterfly, Aidan Donadio in the 13-14 boys breastroke, Alyssa Corvelli in the girls 8 & under breastroke, and Caitlin Carroll in the 15-18 girls butterfly.

Although the meet is not a team competition, Mountainside swimmers now have the winning spirit embedded in their thought process when they think of competition.

"I think we are going to win it," said Michael Bittner, who is ranked 16th in the boys eight and under breast stroke. "Cause we won two meets for the first time this year - oh wait, three!"

James Maloney, who is seeded sixth in the boys eight and under freestyle said getting to the Meet of Champions was not incredibly difficult.

"I was swimming with a lot of younger kids," Maloney said. Maloney was consistently in the top two placings of every race he ran last season. Freestyle, Nichols said,is always a competitive competition and typically challenging and qualifying has to be earned.

Others understand all that went into reaching the Meet of Champions and have a strong focus on winning even overcoming personal adversity - and perhaps because of some other incentives.

"I hope I win," said Alyssa Corvelli, who last week had to overcome walking pneumonia."I am going to be excited because of made a bet with my Dad that if I got first for second, we will go to Atlantic City."

Morgan Bransky who will compete in the girls 13-14 backstroke, said the Mountainside team is riding the wave of team cohesiveness.

" A lot of kids cheered more and encouraged a positive attitude," Bransky said. "You had to try hard to qualify (for the Meet of Champions. I am sure we will all try our best to succeed."