All Daily Record: Senior season extra special for Pequannock’s Stefanides

Kyle Stefanides had already made Pequannock swimming history – twice. In his senior season, Stefanides wanted his teammates to experience it too.

The All Daily Record Swimmer of the Year for the third consecutive season, Stefanides succeeded in his quest. Pequannock earned its best season in recent memory, qualifying for the NJSIAA Tournament for the first time in seven seasons and sending a relay to the Meet of Champions.

As for Stefanides, he remains Pequannock's only male Morris County champion in more than a decade as a sophomore.

Stefanides defended his county titles in the 200-meter IM and 100-meter backstroke for the third year in a row. He did not lose a high school race until the Meet of Champions for the past two years. He holds every Pequannock record except the breaststroke – the only event he didn't swim this winter – setting the 200 and 500 marks in the same race.

Finally a Panthers captain officially, Stefanides became more vocal, leading cheers before meets, and, when Pequannock swam Kinnelon in a NJSIAA North I-C opening-round meet, he thanked his teammates.

Stefanides also made sure to thank relay teammates Kevin Richard, Tyler Schaub and Jack Pownall after the Meet of Champions. Pequannock's medley was seeded 33rd but moved up to 11th, third in the consolation final.

Stefanides turned in a 23.66-second backstroke split – second fastest across all three heats – to get the relay started. He finished fifth in the backstroke and sixth in the IM, one spot better than a year ago but not quite meeting his goal of placing in the top three in his final MOC.

Stefanides had swum a personal- and area-best 1:53.92 in the IM prelims and 50.71 in the backstroke prelims.

"I was more relaxed," he said. "Usually, I have a lot of trouble with that. I get too pumped up sometimes, and mentally, I'm like, 'Oh no, what if I don't do well?' I felt pretty calm this time and that helped me swim better."

Mountain Lakes sophomore Matt Luciano, who swims with Stefanides at LHY, added, "When the race comes, there's not too much to do except get focused and ready. When we're not focusing, (just) relaxing, it's a lot easier. I've tried talking to him before a race, and he just nods. You know he's getting ready to swim and you shouldn't be bothering him."

Stefanides followed his older sister, Angelika, into summer swimming with the Pequannock Piranhas when he was 9 years old, though their parents said he "looked like some kind of drowning animal." It only took a couple of weeks for him to improve, and want more than just to "jump in, do a few laps, and then a cannonball contest."

Stefanides’ swimming became more serious in middle school. He was playing soccer at the same time, and realized he preferred the individual nature of swimming while still being part of a team. He was also finishing at the top of his age group with his Wayne-based club team, Blue Streaks. His progression only improved after a move to the Lakeland Hills YMCA in 2010.

Stefanides trains at LHY for at least two hours a day, six days a week, frequently going straight from high school meets to club practice during the winter.

"It started to hit me, 'I'm almost done. There's not a lot of time left,'" Stefanides said. "I didn’t realize until this year that it's going to be over sooner than I think. It's not only the end of my high school career, but I'm moving on to a completely different lifestyle."

Stefanides signed a National Letter of Internet to continue his athletic and academic career at the University of Massachusetts, where LHY coach Kiera Cruz attended. He will join Mountain Lakes alumnus Emily Zimmermann and Morris Knolls graduate Michael Stiles on the Minutemen swim team. Newton senior Anthony Rizzo has also signed with UMass.

Stefanides plans to study computer science, inspired by a sophomore-year computer-assisted design class.

But first, Stefanides, Pequannock head coach Rob Wenzel and another former Panthers swimmer, Jess Lyon Valdivia, will work together this summer with the Pequannock Piranhas – after he finishes LHY long-course practice. Stefanides' vacation will be spent waking up at 5 a.m., training for a few hours, working with the lake team, heading home in time for an early dinner and going to bed.

"He's not only a fantastic athlete, but he's got a fantastic character to him too, as a leader and a captain, which speaks even higher than his accomplishments as an athlete," Wenzel said. "He played that role already last year, and this year he continued to do that with the title (captain). He's a natural born leader."

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

Top Morris County Boys Performances

Medley relay: Morristown (Michael Macchia, Owen Breslin, Matt Critchley, Brian Honicky) 1:37.81 — March 1 at NJSIAA Meet of Champions

200 freestyle: Ryan Waters (Morristown-Beard) 1:45.15 — March 1 at NJSIAA Meet of Champions

200 individual medley: Kyle Stefanides (Pequannock) 1:53.92 — February 28 at NJSIAA Meet of Champions prelims

50 freestyle: Josh Decker (Roxbury) 21.77 — Dec. 2 vs. Kinnelon

100 butterfly: Matt Luciano (Mountain Lakes) 50.18 — February 28 at NJSIAA Meet of Champions prelims

100 freestyle: Michael Stiles (Morris Knolls) 48.91 — February 28 at NJSIAA Meet of Champions prelims

500 freestyle: Ryan Waters (Morristown-Beard) 4:41.67 — February 28 at NJSIAA Meet of Champions prelims

200 free relay: Morristown (Michael Macchia, Owen Breslin, Derek He, Jamie Viotto) 1:30.06 — February 28 at NJSIAA Meet of Champions prelims

100 backstroke: Kyle Stefanides (Pequannock) 50.71 — February 28 at NJSIAA Meet of Champions prelims

100 breaststroke: Matt Critchley (Morristown) 1:00.93 — Dec. 12 vs. West Morris

400 free relay: Morristown (Brian Honicky, Derek He, Jamie Viotto, Matt Critchley) 3:16.31 — February 28 at NJSIAA Meet of Champions prelims