YMCA Sends 26 Swimmers to National Championships

The Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA swim team is prepared to make its impact once again this week at the YMCA Summer Long Course National Championships at the University of Maryland's Eppley Recreation Center. The meet takes place Tuesday through Thursday, and it will be held in a 50-meter pool (outside of the summer, youth and college swimmers typically compete indoors in 25-yard pools). 

The boy's team finished in the top 20 last year in a field of about 350 teams.
 Swimmer Dan Napolitano, a rising senior at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, said that the team is looking for much better this year.
"We're going for the top five," he said.

This is Napolitano's fourth trip to the championships. He is seeded 12th in the 400-meter freestyle, 16th in the 200 freestyle, 17th in the 200 butterfly and 22nd in the 800 freestyle. He will also be part of the 400 and 800 freestyle relays. The 800 freestyle relay team will be made up by Napolitano and his brother Mike, Will Brown and Greg Baliko.

"My goal is for the top eight in the 400 freestyle, that's reasonable,'' Napolitano said.

Like Napolitano, Baliko has traveled to the YMCA's Summer Nationals four times. He will compete in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, and the 200 and 400 individual medley. In addition to the 400 and 800 relays, he will also take part in the 200 freestyle relay. He said he is looking for a top 10 finish.

"It's going to be pretty busy," he said. "It's tiring, but fun. We work all summer for this. The Nationals are what we work for six days a week."

Overall, 26 swimmers will represent the Fanwood Scotch Plains YMCA at the championships:

Greg Baliko (100 breast, 200 breast, 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 relay, 400 relay, 800 relay); Stephanie Baliko (50 breast, 100 breast, 200 breast); Ana Bogdanovski (50 free, 100 free, 200 free), Will Brown (50 free, 100 free, 400 free, 50 fly, 100 fly), Alex Burzynski (50 back, 100 back, 200 back, 50 breast, 200 IM); Jessica Colucci (50 free, 100 free, 200 free); Katy Comer (50 back, 100 free and back and 200 back); Sarah Cronin (50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 50 fly, 100 fly, 200 IM); Becca Dunn (50 fly, 100 fly); Joey Dunn (50 fly, 100 fly, 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 200 IM);  Caitlin English (100 free, 200 free, 400 free, 50 back, 100 and 200 back); Tim Foster (50 free, 200 free); Kelly Gajdzisz (100 free); Molly Gaynor (50 fly, 100 fly, 200 fly, 50 free and 100 free); Tyler Lessner (50 and 100 breast); Gabi Levine (50 fly, 100 fly, 50 back, 100 back, 200 back, 50 free and 100 free); Hannah Markey (50 free, 100 free, 50 breast, 100 breast, 200 breast, 50 back and 100 back); Keith Monteiro (50 back and 100 back); Dan Napolitano (50 fly, 100 fly, 200 fly, 50 back, 100 back, 100 free, 200 free, 400 free, 200 IM); Mike Napolitano (50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 400 free, 800 free, 50 fly, 100 fly, 200 fly, 200 IM 400 IM); Dan Pesin (50 back, 100 back, 200 back); Jodi Thompson (50 breast, 100 breast and 200 breast).