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All Daily Record: Kleinsorgen driven to be remembered at Roxbury

Jane Havsy
@dailyrecordspts

When Allyson Kleinsorgen was 11 years old, she had to give Dan Montgomery's senior speech at the North Jersey Regional Lake League banquet. Later this month, Montgomery will return the favor, at the Roxbury swim team's annual banquet.

Montgomery is now the Gaels coach, and Kleinsorgen is the 2014-15 All Daily Record Swimmer of the Year.

It wasn't much of a surprise to Montgomery, who has known Kleinsorgen since they were both part of the Flanders Valley Swim Club — first as a fellow swimmer, and then her summer coach. Kleinsorgen started swim lessons when she was just 3 and joined the team at age 7.

She had tried gymnastics but got in trouble for wearing her swimsuit to practice instead of a leotard. In soccer and basketball, Kleinsorgen "wasn't aggressive enough to go get the ball," and got frustrated when it wasn't passed to her. She was a pitcher in softball, "so they had no choice but to give me the ball."

Swimming was really the only sport which appealed to Kleinsorgen, because "I was responsible for my own success."

She has had quite a bit of that since achieving her first Junior Olympics cut as a 9-year-old.

"I was never a good breaststroker, and butterfly, I would get too tired," said Kleinsorgen, a bubbly, 6-foot blonde who loves country music and binge-watching TV via Netflix.

"When (a coach) would say, 'Do a stroke other than freestyle,' I'd do backstroke because I was horrible at breaststroke and too tired to do butterfly. Butterfly is hard on your arms, backstroke is hard on your legs, and breaststroke is altogether confusing."

Kleinsorgen is a double-gold medalist at the Morris County Championships for the second year in a row, defending her titles in the 50 freestyle in a Daily Record area best time of 23.87 seconds as well as the backstroke — and also being part of Roxbury's second-place medley and 200 free relays. She finished fifth in the backstroke at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions with a personal- and area-best time of 57.22. She was also sixth in the 50 free at the MOC, swam backstroke on the Gaels' medley relay and was part of the 200 free relay as well.

Her younger sister Jackie, a Roxbury sophomore, was also on those relays, along with freshmen Jenna Shirkey and Jessie Spitzer.

Allyson Kleinsorgen holds Roxbury's yards records in the 50, 100 and 500 freestyle; individual medley; butterfly and backstroke, and is part of new marks in all three relays.

"She's always been somebody who is pushing to be her best, pushing for those record numbers, pushing for those cuts," said Montgomery, the Gaels' rookie coach, who has a photo of 11-year-old Allyson Kleinsorgen giving him a high-five after breaking a record at the Lake League's championship meet.

"She's always been driven and motivated to be at the top. … She's one of those girls who is once in a lifetime. It's not just the talent and the work ethic, it's the attitude. She really is the swimmer every coach dreams to have."

Kleinsorgen had her own big dreams for her senior season. Inspired by Fall Out Boy's song, "Centuries," Kleinsorgen wanted to earn a banner in the high school gym so she would "always be a part of Roxbury."

The Gaels earned an NJSIAA Tournament berth for the first time since 2007, and defeated Randolph in the North I-B first round — which is believed to be the Roxbury girls' first state win since the 1991-92 season.

Kleinsorgen reveled in having a Roxbury cheering section at the meet almost as much as the victory.

"I don't think she gets enough credit for who she is as a person, just a swimmer," said Gaels senior Olivia Viparina, the 2014-15 All Daily Record Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

"She's always supporting everybody else, cheering on every other sport. She deserves more support herself."

After "a random phone call" in a Home Depot parking lot from Western Kentucky associate head coach Brian Thomas, followed by an official visit via Nashville, Kleinsorgen signed a National Letter of Intent with the Hilltoppers. She hopes to become an elementary school teacher.

Kleinsorgen is enrolled in a Roxbury class that works with a preschool three mornings a week, making lesson plans and doing circle time. She also helps with a special-education class at Jefferson Elementary School taught by Spitzer's mother, part of Roxbury's senior option program.

"There has rarely been a time when I've seen her not motivated, not with a positive outlook," said Tara Moore, a Villanova freshman from Byram who swam with Kleinsorgen at the Randolph Area YMCA. "I've never heard her say, 'I can't do this.' She gets serious, definitely. You have to when you're at such a high level of competition. She always worked hard, and realized there was a purpose, put her mind to it, and succeeded."

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

Top Morris County Girls Performances

Medley relay: Villa Walsh (Carolyn Silverman, Rebecca Morel, Allison Morel, Caroline Feeney) 1:47.78 — March 1 at NJSIAA Meet of Champions

200 freestyle: Erin Kiely (Mountain Lakes) 1:57.51 — Jan. 31 at Morris County Championships

200 individual medley: Rebecca Morel (Villa Walsh) 2:09.88 — Feb. 2 at NJISAA Championships

50 freestyle: Allyson Kleinsorgen (Roxbury) 23.87 — Jan. 31 at Morris County Championships

100 butterfly: Amy Nemeth (Mount Olive) 58.51 — February 28 at NJSIAA Meet of Champions prelims

100 freestyle: Sophie Thomsen (Morristown) 53.93 — Feb. 10 vs. Middletown South

500 freestyle: Erin Kiely (Mountain Lakes) 5:02.46 — February 28 at NJSIAA Meet of Champions prelims

200 free relay: Chatham (Nicole Tingley, Caroline Paulson, Margaret Harrigan, Emily Gorham) 1:39.84 — Jan. 31 at Morris County Championships

100 backstroke: Allyson Kleinsorgen (Roxbury) 57.22 — March 1 at NJSIAA Meet of Champions

100 breaststroke: Alicia Iizuka (Chatham) 1:05.45 — March 1 at NJSIAA Meet of Champions

400 free relay: Chatham (Nicole Tingley, Jane Ewald, Margaret Harrigan, Emily Gorham) 3:39.59 — Jan. 31 at Morris County Championships