Montclair Swimming: Mountie boys capture first ever sectional title
ANDREW GARDA/STAFF
by Andrew Garda
garda@montclairlocal.word
WAYNE — Just cinque days ago, before the Montclair High Educate boys swim squad took to the consortium to acquire Livingston for the semi round of the NJSIAA North 1, A tourney, head coach Edward Koenigsfest told them they needed to shuffle a affirmation.
They did against Livingston, winning 134-36, and then kept the momentum expiration in the finals happening Feb. 14, as the top-seedy Mounties submissive No. 3-seeded River Dell to capture their first e'er Sectional title by a seduce of 111-59.
"They had the homophonic mindset they had against Livingston, that they've had all season since last year when we bemused by two," Koenigsfest aforesaid, referring to last year's heartrending 86-84 finals loss to the selfsame River Dell course of study. "We were just talking in the locker elbow room, the guys WHO were here and took that tough loss, altogether they've been thinking about since this time last year was return and leaving to finals, upcoming back and going to finals."
More than only making it to the finals, the Mounties were hoping they'd get a colourful at revenge against River Dell.
"We were hoping it was River Dell so we could get a little requital, and it ended up being that," Koenigsfest said. "They just desirable to win, they precious that land title first for Montclair and that's what they got. Their knockout work, dedication, dreams, everything they focused on for the live on year just came together."
IT showed from the present moment the team hit the pool.
Montclair started off sweltering, taking both first and second set out in the 200 meter medley relay, with the team of Jarrett Driever, Leo Powers, Tommy White,and Mizell McEachin attractive with a clock time of 1:41.78.
The Mounties took the pass in that race and never looked back, much like they took a 12-2 run along in points after the 200, and never came about relinquishing information technology.
The Mounties took outset place in sise of 11 races, including wholly iii electrical relay races.
However, what really made the difference was that they placed swimmers in at least two of the best three floater in all race.
While first place gives the team the all but points, the rewards for second and third place aren't far tail. Repeatedly scoring two out of those three positions is a best way to down up the points, which Montclair did Friday dark.
It didn't hurt that the Mounties fattened 1-2-3 twice, 1-2 another time and 1-3 threefold.
So while seniors like Tommy White and Justin Ellis continued to do exceptionally well, IT took a tremendous evening by all the Mounties to win the team's first ever surface area title.
Juniors like Alex Petroff and Jarrett Driever, sophomores like Marcos Gutierrez and even freshmen like Logan Driever and Kallan Sobier all contributed to the team's success Friday night. Anyone buttocks and does gradation up, and from each one natator will put ego and congratulate aside to make a point the team succeeds.
ANDREW GARDA/STAFF
That's the formula Koenigsfest has worked hard to instill in his teams, both boys and girls. It's the formula that has put the RCMP at No more. 13 in NJ.com's power rankings, and will likely propel them higher this climax week.
It's also a formula that could make believe the Mounties a potentially dominant team for many years to get along, as they have to a greater extent than just a talented freshman class.
"With the juniors, WHO are releas to be seniors next year, and sophomores who are going to be juniors, information technology's just deep," Koenigsfest same. "IT sucks that we'll comprise losing Tommy, Roman and Justin, just the guys we're keeping, you fanny't pulsation that."
While the team had some see in the Sectional finals, the Chemical group A Backup semifinal was uncharted waters. Notwithstandin, if nothing else, the Mounties have proven they definitely had a guesswork at beating fellow successful Sectional champion Bridgewater-Raritan in Raritan Bay this sexual climax Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 4:30 p.m. in the 2022 NJSIAA Boys Swim Group A Championships semifinal.
While the turnaround wish be quick, Koenigsfest aforementioned that He and his team will just keep doing what has worked for them.
That includes changing awake who is racing what race, or taking component in what electrical relay.
"We had to tweak retributory to keep IT a little morsel different, a piddling bit energising," Koenigsfest said. "The relays were a little bite different, splitting up the medley, keeping the efficacious cardinal freestyle so splitting the 400 just in case, because you didn't know what would happen at the stop."
Koenigsfest has said completely harden that with this team up, ego is out aside and everyone puts team first, even if it means they have to take part in consecutive races.
"Sometimes, you cause the 50 free then you have the 100 fly. Mizelle did it today, Marcos has done IT before, but every last these guys, they put all their personal stuff aside and they're just here for the team," Koenigsfest same. "Which is what I was talking about in the beginning, just keeping all of US together, because that's what information technology's about. We couldn't have got done this without whatsoever of them, you know what I mean? IT took all of them to get what we got and in a volumed fashion."
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Source: https://www.montclairlocal.news/2020/02/17/montclair-swimming-mountie-boys-capture-first-ever-sectional-title/