Mountain Lakes returns to the pinnacle

EWING – Kara Zimmermann barely held back tears of joy, holding the NJSIAA Public C trophy out in front of her exuberant Mountain Lakes teammates. Zimmermann and many of the other Lakers girls had been coming down to The College of New Jersey pool for older siblings' state championships for years, but now it was their opportunity to celebrate.

Zimmermann was one of just two Mountain Lakes individual event winners in the 93-77 defeat of Haddonfield on Saturday morning. She won the breaststroke, and junior Katie Kiely the butterfly, as depth powered the Lakers to the title.

It is Mountain Lakes' first NJSIAA championship since Public B in 2010. The Bulldawgs had defeated the Lakers in last year's Public C semifinal, then lost to Chatham in the final.

"It's the best day of my life," said Zimmermann, a senior captain. "We got here all together as a team. Our team was all about depth. Every point counts. All the girls really contributed. Everyone swam, and everyone swam with heart."

The Lakers relied on their depth, taking second, third and fourth in three events and going two-three in three more.

Mountain Lakes junior Heili Truumees finished second to Haddonfield junior Sophia Kurtz in the 200 free by 29 hundredths of a second, but was followed by teammates Jackie Gemici and Cameron Carrazza. Lakers junior Katie Kiely (personal best 2:11.42), junior Kelly Shi and freshman Grace Tarantola went 2-3-4 in the IM. Junior Elise Fraser, Zimmermann and sophomore Sierra Lore did the same in 50 free.

Then Leshnower made a rare significant change to his meet sheet, moving Kiely out of the backstroke and into the butterfly for just the second time this winter. Kiely's victory (59.74) gave Mountain Lakes a 10-point lead, and she broke her older sister Erin Kiely's school record in the process.

"I said, 'I know it's going to hurt like hell," he said. "They moved (senior Sophie) Fontaine out of there. That was our chance. We took that chance."

Shi, Carrazza and Fraser resumed the Lakers' 2-3-4 trend in the 100 free. The streak was finally snapped in the 500 free, but Truumees and Gemici were second and third for Mountain Lakes.

Leshnower got so excited during the breaststroke, leaping off the pool deck as his dress shirt came untucked from his khakis. The championship was particularly special for Leshnower because his two daughters, junior Jordan and freshman Marin, are part of the team.

"We only needed a couple of points, and she went and won the dang event," Leshnower said, noting that it was the Lakers' first breaststroke victory of the season. "She and Jordan and Vivian (Wan), man, did they come through. They put us over the top."

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

Mountain Lakes 93, Haddonfield 77

Medley relay: 1. Haddonfield (Sophie Fontaine, Abbey Neveling, Kim D'Angelo, Caroline Conte) 1:49.94; 2. Mountain Lakes (Katie Kiely, Kara Zimmermann, Marin Leshnower, Grace Tarantola) 1:51.21; 3. Mountain Lakes (Mia Tarantola, Jordan Leshnower, Sarah Scelsa, Juliana Scerbo) 2:00.11; 4. Haddonfield (Elizabeth Kolaski, Chloe Lin, Tory Yost, Regan McDonnell) 2:01.95; 5. Haddonfield (Mary Beth Coyne, Amelia Coty, Bridget Courtney, Ellen Berry) 2:06.05; 6. Mountain Lakes (Vicky Wan, Vivian Wan, Trinity Pallaria, Laura Burkly) 2:09.34.

200 freestyle: 1. Sophia Kurtz (H) 1:56.65; 2. Heili Truumees (ML) 1:56.82; 3. Jackie Gemici (ML) 2:01.99; 4. Cameron Carrazza (ML) 2:05.52; 5. Grace Figoli (H) 2:09.22; 6. Olivia Plunkett (H) 2:11.43.

200 IM: 1. Sophie Fontaine (H) 2:07.9; 2. Katie Kiely (ML) 2:11.42; 3. Kelly Shi (ML) 2:15.41; 4. Grace Tarantola (ML) 2:15.96; 5. Penelope Sigloch (H) 2:33.04; 6. Bridget Courtney (H) 2:46.59.

50 freestyle: 1. Abbey Neveling (H) 24.21; 2. Elise Fraser (ML) 25;06; 3. Kara Zimmermann (ML) 25.74; 4. Sierra Lore (ML) 26.47; 5. Elizabeth Kolaski (H) 27.27; 6. Tory Yost (H) 27.52.

100 butterfly: 1. Katie Kiely (ML) 59.74; 2. Caroline Conte (H) 1:00.04; 3. Marin Leshnower (ML) 1:01.28; 4. Sarah Scelsa (ML) 1:03.41; 5. Kim D'Angelo (H) 1:06.06; 6. Olivia Plunkett (H) 1:06.56.

100 freestyle: 1. Abbey Neveling (H) 53.19; 2. Kelly Shi (ML) 55.79; 3. Cameron Carrazza (ML) 56.39; 4. Elise Fraser (ML) 56.63; 5. Amelia Coty (H) 1:01.04; 6. Chloe Lin (H) 1:02.08.

500 freestyle: 1. Sophia Kurtz (H) 5:16.67; 2. Heili Truumees (ML) 5:27.2; 3. Jackie Gemici (ML) 5:33.86; 4. Grace Figlioli (H) 5:51.65; 5. Simona Virga (ML) 5:59.01; 6. Penelope Sigloch (H) 6:14.1.

200 free relay: 1. Haddonfield (Sophie Fontaine, Elizabeth Kolaski, Sophia Kurtz, Abbey Neveling) 1:40.35; 2. Mountain Lakes (Elise Fraser, Kara Zimmermann, Kelly Shi, Katie Kiely) 1:41.29; 3. Mountain Lakes (Cameron Carrazza, Sierra Lore, Marin Leshnower, Heili Truumees) 1:41.13; 4. Haddonfield (Tory Yost, Carlee Riordan, Ellen Berry, Regan McDonnell) 1:49.67; 5. Mountain Lakes (Trinity Pallaria, Vicky Wan, Laura Burkly, Simona Virga) 1:57.08; 6. Haddonfield (Hannah Stauss, Hannah Roche, Maddie Norman, Erin Angstadt) 2:00.46.

100 backstroke: 1. Sophie Fontaine (H) 57.96; 2. Katie Kiely (ML) 1:00.29; 3. Caroline Conte (H) 1:00.49; 4. Sarah Scelsa (ML) 1:05.49; 5. Mia Tarantola (ML) 1:07.15; 6. Mary Beth Coyne (H) 1:08.66.

100 breaststroke: 1. Kara Zimmermann (ML) 1:14.05; 2. Regan McDonnell (H) 1:15.26; 3. Chloe Lin (H) 1:17.03; 4. Jordan Leshnower (ML) 1:19.35; 5. Vivian Wan (ML) 1:20.45; 6. Amelia Coty (H) 1:20.75.

400 free relay: 1. Mountain Lakes (Elise Fraser, Kelly Shi, Heili Truumees, Grace Tarantola) 3:45.23; 2. Haddonfield (Grace Figlioli, Sophia Kurtz, Tory Yost, Caroline Conte) 3:50.02; 3. Mountain Lakes (Cameron Carrazza, Jackie Gemici, Juliana Scerbo, Sierra Lore) 3:53.35; 4. Haddonfield (Elizabeth Kolaski, Olivia Plunkett, Ellen Berry, Penelope Sigloch) 4:05.04; 5. Haddonfield (Bridget Courtney, Erin Angstadt, Hannah Roche, Hannah Strauss) 4:28; 6. Mountain Lakes (Rachel Hercek, Julia Matalon, Melody Fu, Kyra Rozanitis) 4:50.3.

Site of meet: The College of New Jersey. Distances in yards.  Team records: Mountain Lakes 13-2, Haddonfield 8-5.