Fast freshmen making immediate impact
Max Alexy didn't debate his club and high school swimming commitments before he came to Delbarton this fall. Instead, Alexy pondered "if I had enough time at all." A member of the Somerset Hills YMCA team since age 7, Alexy certainly intended to stick with that. But he also wanted to be part of Delbarton's musical, and rehearsals sometimes overlapped with high school swimming.
Alexy decided to keep up with all three, sometimes missing practice or a rehearsal but somehow keeping everything balanced. The Delbarton swim team requires attendance at at least two events each week, so when there's only one meet, Alexy attends 6 a.m. practice on Monday or Tuesday at the Greater Morristown YMCA and SHY practice after school.
"I knew (Delbarton) had fast swimmers, but I didn't know how special the program was," said Alexy, a 6-foot-4 Green Wave freshman. "The connection with everybody, we're all a team, and we're all like brothers. Even at the first practice, with all the new kids, you could sense that. Everybody's looking out for everyone else, and we all want the best for everyone."
Alexy first met the Delbarton team and coaches while watching his older sister, Kate Alexy, swim for Mendham against the Green Wave last season. Laurel Carey had been introduced to the Madison High School team by her older brother, Matt Carey, one of the driving forces behind the Dodgers adding a boys team last year.
Though freshmen are new to high school procedures, they're certainly no rookies to competition. Carey won the 50- and 100-meter freestyle at the U&ME Invitational on Friday, posting personal-best and school-record times in both events.
"The competition is a little bit different, but still good," she said. "The atmosphere, with all the kids cheering for us, no matter how fast or slow you're going, they cheer you on."
Carey already has earned NJSIAA Meet of Champions cuts in the freestyle sprints. Alexy hopes to join her in the distance events.
Randolph freshman Vinny Marciano already has both MOC cuts and school records, as well as quite a reputation as an age-group swimmer at Morris County Swim Club. He had the top times among all USA Swimming Eastern Zone 14-year-olds in the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter backstroke, the two events he won easily at U&ME.
"You've got to race your own race, and do what I know how to do," said Marciano, who is ranked in the top 10 in both events nationally among his age group.
"Swimming high school is a completely different atmosphere. I'm really on a team when I swim with Randolph. I wasn't used to having the guys around, Henry (Taibi) and Ben (Lane) and all the captains. We're having a blast. We swim fast and have fun."
Quote of the week
"The competition is the clock. If you check, you'll usually go slower. You have to clear your mind and pretend it's only you and the water." — Morristown sophomore Sophie Thomsen, who broke her own school backstroke record while finishing second at the U&ME
Places to be
Thursday: Mountain Lakes at Morristown, 4 p.m.
Saturday: Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Championships at Raritan Valley CC, 9 a.m.
Pirates plunder Essex County
Senior Brandon Wang of Montville won the 200-yard freestyle and 100 breaststroke as Seton Hall Prep won its 19th straight Essex County title.
Colby Dixon, a junior from Madison, was first in the 100 freestyle and backstroke. Senior Ian D'Souza, a Montville resident, finished third in the 200 free and fourth in the 100 free. Senior Gregory Spicka of Morris Plains placed third in the breaststroke and fifth in the 50 free. Sophomore Alex Wang, Brandon's younger brother, was second to Dixon in the backstroke and sixth in the butterfly. Seton Hall sophomore Matthew Michaels, an East Hanover resident, was second in the butterfly and 11th in the IM. Freshman Andrew Fenton placed fourth in the 50 free and ninth in the butterfly.
Dixon, Spicka and Wang swam the first three legs of the Pirates' first-place medley relay. Seton Hall Prep's all-Morris 400 free relay — D'Souza, Michaels, Dixon and Wang — also finished first.
Staff Writer Jane Havsy: 973-428-6682; jhavsy@gannettnj.com; www.dailyrecord.com/writerjane/
Top girls performances
Medley relay: Mendham (Kate Alexy, Sarah Daly, Mary Laurita, Kathleen Kemp) 1:51.24 — Jan. 15 at U&ME Invitational
200 freestyle: Emily Gorham (Chatham) 1:57 — Jan. 14 vs. Mountain Lakes
200 IM: Hannah Womer (Chatham) 2:07.71 — Jan. 7 vs. Scotch Plains
50 freestyle: Laurel Carey (Madison) 24.3 — Jan. 15 at U&ME Invitational
100 butterfly: Mary Laurita (Mendham) 58.97 — Jan. 15 at U&ME Invitational
100 freestyle: Laurel Carey (Madison) 52.58 — Jan. 15 at U&ME Invitational
500 freestyle: Cristina Barrett (Chatham) 4:59.78 — Jan. 7 vs. Scotch Plains
200 free relay: Morristown (Sophie Thomsen, Nicole Barkemeyer, Meghan Crowley, Emily Skilton) 1:40.27 — Jan. 15 at U&ME Invitational
100 backstroke: Kate Alexy (Mendham) 57.59 — Jan. 15 at U&ME Invitational
100 breaststroke: Alicia Iizuka (Chatham) 1:05.68 — Jan. 7 vs. Scotch Plains
400 free relay: Chatham 3:32.47 — Jan. 7 vs. Scotch Plains
Top Boys Performances
Medley relay: Morristown (Michael Macchia, Matt Critchley, Tommy Cromie, Owen Breslin) 1:35.84 — Jan. 6 vs. Seton Hall Prep
200 freestyle: Vinny Marciano (Randolph) 1:47.15 — Jan. 14 vs. Roxbury
200 IM: Michael Macchia (Morristown) 1:57.9 — Dec. 14 vs. Parsippany Hills
50 freestyle: Vinny Marciano (Randolph) 21.73 — Jan. 15 at U&ME Invitational
100 butterfly: Matt Luciano (Mountain Lakes) 51.78 — Jan. 14 vs. Chatham
100 freestyle: Josh Decker (Roxbury) 48.37 — Jan. 15 at U&ME Invitational
500 freestyle: Joe Scerbo (Mountain Lakes) 4:45.57 — Dec. 1 vs. Randolph
200 free relay: Morristown (Matt Critchley, Derek He, Michael Macchia, Owen Breslin) 1:27.9 — Jan. 15 at U&ME Invitational
100 backstroke: Vinny Marciano (Randolph) 52.16 — Jan. 14 vs. Roxbury
100 breaststroke: Matt Critchley (Morristown) 59.4 — Dec. 17 vs. Randolph
400 free relay: Morristown (Tommy Cromie, Sam Addis, Justin Viotto, Derek He) 3:21.48 — Jan. 15 at U&ME Invitational
Compiled from results reported to the Daily Record through Monday.