Ocean teams look to be better than second best
BY VIN RAPOLLA
Staff Writer

After taking second at the recent Monmouth County Championships, both the Ocean Township boys and girls swim teams are hoping to move up a notch at the upcoming Shore Conference meet.

Both teams are putting together near-perfect dual-meet seasons at the midway point, and with the postseason quickly approaching, are preparing to make runs at some hardware.

The boys team, which boasts a perfect 8-0 record and is ranked third in the Shore Conference, entered the season with one of their most talented teams in school history. With a veteran lineup and the addition of some very talented freshmen, the Spartan boys look like they may have what it takes to make a run at top-ranked Christian Brothers Academy or second-ranked Toms River North when the Shore Conference Championships come around on Feb. 10.

At the Monmouth County Championships, held Jan. 6 at the Ocean County YMCA, Ocean finished second to CBA with 268 points, well behind CBA's 390 points.

CBA swept the relays at the county meet, and also got wins in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly to win the title. But the Spartans showed the ability to place swimmers in a number of events, which is what you need to do well in larger meets.

"We had a lot of guys back. We're a pretty veteran team, and now we've got some new fresh help, so it's been nice," said coach Bill Lynch. "We've got a great ranking - it's a major improvement for the boys. Every once in a while you get a great mix of kids."

Led by seniors Matt Stengel, Casey McDermot and Derek Henricksen, all of whom are four-year guys, the Spartans are excited for the postseason, and the chance to further put their swim team on the map.

"They're all four-year vets who have been solid all year-round," said coach Lynch.

Also contributing to the team are newcomers Cody Parker and Kevin Roake, both freshmen.

"These guys have been a great addition to the team," said Lynch.

With the team's depth, and the remainder of the team's schedule looking rather soft, the boys team is in position to prepare itself accordingly to make a run at the Shore Conference crown.

"I think we can compete well in the postseason, but it'll be tough to beat some of the teams in the conference," said Lynch. "It'll be a horse race, but you never know."

Meanwhile, the Ocean girls team also looks to make some waves in the upcoming postseason, entering the second half of the season with a 7-1 record and a second overall ranking in the Shore Conference behind county champion Red Bank Catholic. The Spartan girls are also ranked 15th in the state.

"We have a lot of seniors and depth. It may be my most solid team in a long time," said Lynch.

Coming into the season, Lynch knew his team would be among the top teams in the Shore. After taking second at the county meet with 358 points (RBC was first with 406.5), the Spartans are looking to close the gap on the Caseys at the conference meet.

"We're a solid championship team," said Lynch. "We can score a ton of points, so we'll see; we could win."

Boasting a lineup with four firs-team All-State returners, the team looks forward to the next few weeks to prove they are the Shore's elite. Led by seniors Katie English and Holly Biro, this experienced team is well prepared for runs in both the Shore Conference and state tournaments.

At the county meet, the Spartans got wins from English in the 200 freestyle (1:58.88) and the 500 free (5:19.04), and Biro in the 50 freestyle (24.90) and 100 freestyle (54.53), as well as the 400 freestyle relay (3:43.66). RBC didn't win any of the events but put together enough top six finishes throughout the meet to capture the title.

While Ocean proved it can win its share of events at the SC meet, they will need to get more top-six finishes elsewhere if they hope to topple RBC.

"The bottom line is we're shooting for the Shore Conference, getting ready for that tournament and also looking to win the state tournament in Group III," said Lynch. "We're going to go into the Shore Conference meet confident and try to win that bad boy."