Chatham wins fifth straight state swimming title

EWING – Alicia Iizuka was more nervous than usual before the NJSIAA Public C final on Sunday night. The Chatham swimmers had calculated the result against Haddonfield beforehand, and come up two points short.

But, Iizuka reminded herself, "We were pretty sure more than one somebody was going to do something amazing."

That's exactly what happened. The Cougars rallied to defeat Haddonfield, 95-75, to earn their fifth straight NJSIAA title.

Chatham had won four Public B crowns, and then moved to the newly created Public C and continued the tradition this winter. The Cougars join Mount St. Mary (2003-07) and Vineland (2001-05) with five consecutive championships, behind only Immaculate Heart's two Non-Public streaks.

Chatham (14-0) also remains undefeated since early 2010.

"This one has been even better," said Iizuka, a sophomore who won the breaststroke with her twin sister, Karen, just a lane away. "I'm happier today than I was last year, because the team means so much more to me. I'm so, so happy we won."

With many of the swimmers at YMCA Silvers over the weekend, Chatham had a team brunch on Sunday morning instead of the traditional pasta party. On the bus ride to The College of New Jersey, they read letters from alumni – including recent graduates Regan Kology, Shana McLaughlin, Jessica Gorham, Jenni Allocco and Evan O'Hara – who had won state titles before them, and heard head coach Frank DiGiacomo's annual speech.

As usual, he stressed family and tradition – and making sure each swimmer enjoyed her experience. Moments after the meet ended, DiGiacomo's wife, Tina, texted him a photo of their newborn son, Mason Joseph, under a Chatham swimming blanket.

Even the normally chatty DiGiacomo could only shake his head as the girls dashed around TCNJ's pool deck taking selfies with the NJSIAA trophy.

"To have them bond together like this, and become a heck of a team, I'm speechless," he finally said. "These girls love to swim, and love swimming together."

DiGiacomo had predicted the meet would be decided on fourth- and fifth-place finishes, and Chatham never gave up that last point on Sunday.

Haddonfield (9-4) edged the Cougars in the opening medley relay by 16 hundredths of a second. But then Chatham's depth began to blossom, as Margaret Harrigan and Nina Barrett went 2-3 in the 200 free. Freshman Nicole Tingley, Iizuka and Stephanie Crater swept the top three places in the IM, giving Chatham a 27-19 lead it would not relinquish.

Emily Gorham was first in the butterfly by 14 hundredths of a second, an 11-5 point swing for the Cougars. Tingley and Harrigan went 2-3 in the 100 free. Barrett, Abbie Bigham and Jackie Crater took second, third and fourth in the 500 free.

"There's a lot of pressure," said sophomore Jackie Crater, who won the backstroke by four hundredths of a second with her twin sister, Stephanie, third.

"This pool has got wraparound seating, so everybody's looking at you. In the end, everyone pulled through. It's great to have a team like this I know I can rely on, my Chatham swimming family."

Staff writer Jane Havsy: 973-428-6682; jhavsy@dailyrecord.com; www.dailyrecord.com/writerjane/

Chatham 95, Haddonfield 75

Medley relay: 1. Haddonfield (Sophia Kurtz, Abby Czerniecki, Caroline Conte, Elizabeth Kolaski) 1:51.44; 2. Chatham (Jackie Crater, Alicia Iizuka, Amy Duren, Caroline Paulson) 1:51.6; 3. Chatham (Stephanie Crater, Emily McGovern, Caroline Nash, Jane Ewald) 1:57.39; 4. Chatham (Maggie Holman, Karen Iizuka, Grace Amend, Brigid Horan) 1:59.26; 5. Haddonfield (Marybeth Coyne, Victoria Coty, Olivia Plunkett, Kaileen Kirkwood) 2:03.01; 6. Haddonfield (Katie Pileggi, Katie Monegna, Tory Yost, Ellen Berry) 2:06.19.

200 freestyle: 1. Sophie Fontaine (H) 1:52.12; 2. Margaret Harrigan (Ch) 1:57.82; 3. Nina Barrett (Ch) 2:00.05; 4. Sophia Kurtz (H) 2:01.81; 5. Abbie Bigham (Ch) 2:02.21; 6. Grace Devine (H) 2:05.22.

200 individual medley: 1. Nicole Tingley (Ch) 2:12.51; 2. Alicia Iizuka (Ch) 2:14.45; 3. Stephanie Crater (Ch) 2:16.32; 4. Abby Czerniecki (H) 2:16.49; 5. Tory Yost (H) 2:36.89; 6. Grace Figioli (H) 2:37.55.

50 freestyle: 1. Abbey Neveling (H) 24.08; 2. Emily Gorham (Ch) 24.77; 3. Abigail Bentley (H) 25.29; 4. Caroline Paulson (Ch) 25.65; 5. Alyssa Hartigan (Ch) 26.22; 6. Elizabeth Kolaski (H) 26.37.

100 butterfly: 1. Emily Gorham (Ch) 58.55; 2. Caroline Conte (H) 58.69; 3. Amy Duren (Ch) 1:00.16; 4. Meggie Butler (Ch) 1:04.22; 5. Olivia Plunkett (H) 1:05.91.

100 freestyle: 1. Abbey Neveling (H) 52.91; 2. Nicole Tingley (Ch) 55.27; 3. Margaret Harrigan (Ch) 55.73; 4. Abigail Bentley (H) 55.85; 5. Jane Ewald (Ch) 56.4; 6. Victoria Coty (H) 59.12.

500 freestyle: Sophie Fontaine (H) 4:59.74; 2. Nina Barrett (Ch) 5:13.81; 3. Abbie Bigham (Ch) 5:24.29; 4. Jackie Crater (Ch) 5:39.73; 5. Grace Devine (H) 5:44.46; 6. Grace Figoli (H) 6:09.06.

200 free relay: 1. Haddonfield (Abigail Bentley, Abby Czerniecki, Sophie Fontaine, Abbey Neveling) 1:38.87; 2. Chatham (Nicole Tingley, Margaret Harrigan, Caroline Paulson, Emily Gorham) 1:42.69; 3. Chatham (Jane Ewald, Amy Duren, Chloe Tempest, Alyssa Hartigan) 1:46.01; 4. Haddonfield (Elizabeth Kolaski, Kaileen Kirkwood, Katie Pileggi, Victoria Coty) 1:47.57; 5. Chatham (Meggie Butler, Kelly Horan, Kate Purschke, Kathryn Visco) 1:50.66; 6. Haddonfield (Ellen Berry, Carlee Riordan, Zoe Brandenburg, Penelope Sigloch) 1:52.72.

100 backstroke: 1. Jackie Crater (Ch) 1:00.05; 2. Caroline Conte (H) 1:00.09; 3. Stephanie Crater (Ch) 1:01.49; 4. Sophia Kurtz (H) 1:02.25; 5. Maggie Holman (Ch) 1:03.58; 6. Marybeth Coyne (H) 1:06.35.

100 breaststroke: 1. Alicia Iizuka (Ch) 1:07.16; 2. Abby Czerniecki (H) 1:09.73; 3. Emily McGovern (Ch) 1:09.86; 4. Karen Iizuka (Ch) 1:10.72; 5. Katie Montegna (H) 1:20.4; 6. Katie Pileggi (H) 1:22.54.

400 free relay: 1. Haddonfield (Sophia Kurtz, Caroline Conte, Abbey Neveling, Sophie Fontaine); 2. Chatham (Margaret Harrigan, Jane Ewald, Nicole Tingley, Emily Gorham); 3. Chatham (Alyssa Hartigan, Amy Duren, Caroline Paulson, Nina Barrett); 4. Haddonfield (Abigail Bentley, Grace Devine, Kaileen Kirkwood, Victoria Coty); 5. Haddonfield (Elizabeth Kolaski, Zoe Brandenburg, Katie Ragusa, Olivia Plunkett); 6. Chatham (Kelly Kennedy, Maddie Clark, Kate Harrigan, Kelly Horan).

Site of meet: The College of New Jersey. Distances in yards. Team records: Chatham 14-0; Haddonfield 9-5.