Morris, Sussex swimmers prepare for county meets
Has anything changed at the top of Morris County swimming? All will be revealed on Saturday.
The Chatham girls come in as six-time defending champions, still undefeated and determined to prove they’re just as strong after significant graduation losses. Host Morristown’s boys, who have won three titles since ‘09, are trying to establish their own legacy — and rewrite the school’s record board.
“Counties should be a great meet,” said Colonials senior Jamie Viotto, a distance swimmer who was part of stellar races with Ryan Waters of Morristown-Beard and now-graduated James McElduff of Mountain Lakes last winter.
“It’s the perfect meet to take down records. We start, fast, and by counties, we put up times to marvel at.”
Villa Walsh, which finished second a year ago, remains a solid challenger for the Cougars. Mendham showed off the middle-lane talents of Mary Laurita and Kate Alexy, plus quite a bit of depth, while finishing second at the U&ME Invitational. Mountain Lakes could challenge for both the boys and girls team titles. Senior Allyson Kleinsorgen — the defending county champion in the 50 free and breaststroke — and her younger sister Jackie Kleinsorgen lead the Roxbury girls, with James Singewald and sprinter Josh Decker doing the same on the boys side. Also keep an eye on Pequannock senior and two-time All Daily Record Swimmer of the Year Kyle Stefanides, who has won the IM and backstroke two years in a row.
“We’re just really excited to swim as a team, and we have such a great team this year,” Chatham sophomore Emily Gorham said. “It’s nice to see all these new people come up, and have some new challenges to face as a team together. We have a lot of fun, and I like to see all the people grow as swimmers, because I have, so much, on this team. ... We’re more motivated than ever to continue to work hard.”
Do U know NLV?
Though Lenape Valley sophomore Hunter Klingener dreams of stardom, he was perfectly happy to have the NLV swim team stay under the radar. Klingener and Newton senior Anthony Rizzo made that impossible at the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Championships on Sunday. They shared Most Valuable Swimmer honors with Sparta freshman Alexis Faria, after each won two individual events. The NLV duo were also part of two first-place relays, as the team finished second to perennial powerhouse Hunterdon Central.
They’ll lead their teams into the Sussex County Championships on Saturday at Kittatinny.
The Newton-Lenape Valley co-op program — the “U” for United was dropped, though the sentiment remains — finished second to the host Cougars by just 31/2 points last winter, and is on a quest to win the first boys swimming team title at either school. Kittatinny is the three-time defending boys champion. Pope John has won four consecutive girls titles, but finished fourth behind Hunterdon Central, North Hunterdon and Sparta at HWS.
“It’s a really big confidence booster for everybody on our team,” Klingener said of NLV’s second-place finish at HWS. “It’s keeping our heads high, and trying to bring us to win (the county).”
Family history
Bill Soden would prefer nobody knows about the milestone he will likely achieve when Parsippany Hills swims against Parsippany on Tuesday. If the Vikings win, Soden will reach 300 career victories.
“If I get 700 more wins, I’ll be up there with Coach K,” joked Soden, referring to Duke men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, who reached that milestone on Dec. 12.
“I’d have to live another 60 years. It’s weird to think it’s going to happen. In my wildest dreams, I never thought it would come about.”
A math teacher at Parsippany Hills for 38 years, Soden launched the swim programs at both Parsippany Hills and Parsippany High.
John Bernauer asked Soden if he'd coach the Vikings, then a club team. Though Soden had swum before switching to basketball at South River High School and Glassboro State, he told Bernauer that he didn't know much about coaching the sport. Bernauer promised that he and the rest of the Parsippany Hills swimmers, most of whom were also part of YMCA teams, would help Soden along.
Parsippany Hills held its first meet the following day. Soden was only planning to coach that initial season, but he quickly fell in love with the sport -- and the special qualities of the swimmers. He has been the Vikings' only coach for 30 years.
Morris Knolls coach Kathy Hall, Chatham coach Frank DiGiacomo and several local assistants swam for him when they were in high school.
“The first year, all we did was drive to meets and that was it,” Soden said. “I said, ‘I can’t do this unless we’re going to have some practice time, and buses to drive to meets, like every other sport.’”
Jack Mott, a Parsippany-Troy Hills district administrator, made that happen. Years later, when Board of Education budget cuts threatened to eliminate both swim teams, parents went to a meeting and stood up for the sport.
Soden has considered retirement, particularly after oft-postponed surgery last summer left him with eight, 31/2-inch screws in his lower back. He was supposed to be out for six months to a year, but he came back after three — in time for swim season.
“You get another freshman group coming in, and they’ll tell you, ‘You’ve got to stay around until I leave.’ I say, ‘That’s not going to happen,’” Soden repeated. “Four years later, another group comes in, and they’re saying the same thing. I’m probably the luckiest guy in the world to have the kids I work with. I’m very fortunate to have the job I’m doing right now, because it’s not like a job. It’s an awful lot of fun, and it has been for all these many years.”
With Soden at 299 wins, Parsippany Hills will swim Chatham on Thursday, and may reschedule a snowed-out meet with Villa Walsh before the season finale. But Bill’s wife Kathryn Soden, a special education teacher, and their adult children, Kyle and Jillian, are planning to be at the meet on Tuesday. As much as Soden wanted to keep the whole thing a secret, even he acknowledged it would be fitting if Parsippany and Parsippany Hills — sister schools who share practice time at Morristown — are able to celebrate together.
“I want this to be fun,” Soden said. “If it wasn’t fun, right now I’d probably say I didn’t want to do it anymore. But it’s been a ball.”
Lane lines
• All three relays qualified for finals as St. Elizabeth finished 11th overall at the National Catholic High School Championships at Loyola (Md.) University this weekend. Senior Tracey Collins led the way, finishing seventh in the 500 free and 10th in the breaststroke. Senior Ally Bowden (Florham Park) participated in her first finals session, joining Ellie Martine (Madison), Mackenzie Collins and Olivia Kennedy (Rockaway) on the Panthers’ 200 medley relay which moved up to ninth, winning the B-final. The 400 free relay of Mackenzie and Tracey Collins, Martine, and freshman Gillian Thieroff placed seventh. Thieroff also had the largest individual time drop, six seconds in the 200 free.
• NJSIAA brackets will be released on Thursday.
Staff Writer Jane Havsy: 973-428-6682; jhavsy@dailyrecord.com; www.dailyrecord.com/writerjane/
Top Girls Performances
Medley relay: Villa Walsh (Carolyn Silverman, Rebecca Morel, Allison Morel, Caroline Feeney) 1:53.38 – Jan. 22 at Morristown
200 freestyle: Emily Peter (Pope John) 1:58.59 – Jan. 25 at HWS Championships
200 IM: Jackie Kleinsorgen (Roxbury) 2:11 – Dec. 2 vs. Kinnelon
50 freestyle: Ally Kleinsorgen (Roxbury) 24.41 – Dec. 2 vs. Kinnelon
100 butterfly: Alexis Faria (Sparta) 58.95 – Jan. 25 at HWS Championships
100 freestyle: Ally Kleinsorgen (Roxbury) 54.38 – Jan. 13 vs. Mountain Lakes
500 freestyle: Nina Barrett (Chatham) 5:13.86 – Jan. 22 vs. Mendham
200 free relay: Mendham (Sara Cecere, Charlie Trinco, Kate Alexy, Mary Laurita) 1:43.47 – Jan. 16 at U&ME Invitational
100 backstroke: Ally Kleinsorgen (Roxbury) 1:00.07 – Jan. 16 at U&ME Invitational
100 breaststroke: Rebecca Morel (Villa Walsh) 1:08.16 – Jan. 22 at Morristown
400 free relay: Morristown (Meghan Crowley, Alanna Lenihan, Emilie Breslin, Sophie Thomsen) 3:46.93 – Jan. 16 at U&ME Invitational
Top Boys Performances
Medley relay: Morristown (Michael Macchia, Matt Critchley, Brian Honicky, Owen Breslin) 1:38.35 – Jan. 9 vs. Ridge
200 freestyle: Hunter Klingener (NLV) 1:45 – Jan. 25 at HWS Championships
200 IM: Anthony Rizzo (NLV) 1:59 – Jan. 25 at HWS Championships
50 freestyle: Josh Decker (Roxbury) 21.77 – Dec. 2 vs. Kinnelon
100 butterfly: Matt Luciano (Mountain Lakes) 51.46 – Dec. 19 at Morristown
100 freestyle: Kyle Stefanides (Pequannock) 49.25 – Jan. 13 vs. Morris Hills
500 freestyle: Jamie Viotto (Morristown) 4:45 – Jan. 12 vs. Seton Hall Prep
200 free relay: Roxbury (Christian Gonzalez, Cole Kaufman, Kevin Pollison, Josh Decker) 1:30.47 – Dec. 2 vs. Kinnelon
100 backstroke: Matt Dottinger (Morris Knolls) 53.97 – Jan. 13 vs. Mount Olive
100 breaststroke: Hunter Klingener (NLV) 1:00.79 – Jan. 25 at HWS Championships
400 free relay: Morristown (Brian Honicky, Derek He, Jamie Viotto, Matt Critchley) 3:17.84 – Jan. 16 at U&ME Invitational
Compiled from results reported to the Daily Record through Monday.