OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City High School girls swim team tested their mettle against a powerful Cherokee Monday, a meet that will help prepare the Red Raiders for the sectional tournament.
The Chiefs (8-2) took a lead right from the opening race and were able to hold it the entire meet. After trailing by 20 points, Ocean City (8-2) was able to narrow the gap to 12 points with a strong performance in the 200-meter freestyle relay, but Cherokee controlled the final three races for a 96-74 win.
“Cherokee is a very talented team. They’re going to be one of the top seeds in South Jersey Public A so when you can swim a school like that, it only makes us better,” Ocean City coach Ian Keyser said. “It prepares us for playoffs. That’s probably the best team we would see up until potentially going to a South Jersey final, so swimming a team like that right before playoffs really helps us out.” Ocean City competes in South Jersey Public B.
Olivia Scherbin top CAL meet swimmer,
MRHS top team
Red Raider Olivia Scherbin was named the top swimmer at Thursday’s Cape-Atlantic League meet at Atlantic City High School after she won the 50-meter freestyle in 27.04 seconds and the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 58.99 seconds.
“Olivia Scherbin swam phenomenal on Thursday,” Keyser said. “She won the 50 and 100 and was huge for us in the relays. We were in fourth or fifth in the medley relay and she brought us back to win the silver medal.”
The Mainland Regional girls won the team title at the meet with 401.5 points. The Mustangs took first place in three events – Jordyn Ricciotti in the 200 individual medley, Alivia Wainwright in the 100 backstroke and then those two combining with Monica Iordanov and Laci Denn to win the 400 freestyle relay.
Cherokee 96
Ocean City 74
Cherokee won the 200-meter medley relay to start the meet at Ocean City Aquatic and Fitness Center. Angeline Bui, Megan Zeiler, Abigail Zane and Heather O’Day finished in a time of 2 minutes, 7.91 seconds. Ocean City’s Mia Buonadonna, Julianna Duff, Rachel Stauffer and Ryan Cooke were second and teammates Callie Bellwoar, Abby Hays, Van Kelly and Kelsea Cooke were third.
Lydia Palmer, who had two individual wins for the Chiefs, took the 200 freestyle in 2:10.71 with Red Raider Olivia Scherbin second. Bui was third for Cherokee and Lilly Teofanova fourth for Ocean City.
Zane, who also had two individual victories for Cherokee, won the 200 individual medley in 2:30.24 with Zeiler second and Adrianna Bui fourth. Ocean City’s Ryan Cooke and Sofia Petrov were third and fifth.
O’Day took the 50 meters in 28.48 seconds and teammates Alisa Shapiro and Taylor Nabinger were fourth and fifth. Red Raiders Kelsea Cooke and Buonadonna were second and third.
Zane won the 100 butterfly in 1:06.12 with Shapiro third and Anna DeNick fifth. Ocean City’s Rachel Stauffer and Vanna Kelly were second and fourth.
Scherbin earned Ocean City’s only individual win of the day in the 100 freestyle in 1:00.81 with teammates Kelsea Cooke and Nina DiPilato fourth and fifth. Cherokee’s O’Day and Julia Fanning were second and third.
Palmer got her second individual win in the 400 freestyle with a time of 4:45.80. Ocean City’s Bellwoar, Teofanova and Breanna Fabi were second, third and fifth, respectively. Cherokee’s Alexa Harris was fourth.
Ocean City won the 200 freestyle relay with Kelsea Cooke, Stauffer, Ryan Cooke and Scherbin with a time of 1:56.38 and teammates Petrov, Mia Gallagher, DiPilato and Teofanova were third. Cherokee’s Megan Zeiler, Shapiro, Fanning and Palmer were second.
At that point in the meet, Cherokee led Ocean City by 12 points, 68-56, after being ahead by as many as 20 points after the butterfly. The Chiefs won the next three events to extend their lead to the final 96-74.
Angeline Bui won the backstroke in 1:10.59 and teammate Adrianna Bui was third. Ocean City’s Buonadonna, Ryan Cooke and Bellwoar were second, fourth and fifth.
Zeiler won the 100 breaststroke in 1:20.39 for the Chiefs with Fanning third. Hays was second for the Red Raiders, Duff fourth and Petrov fifth.
O’Day, Zane, Fanning and Palmer combined to win the final event, the 400 freestyle relay, in 4:17.27 and teammates Adrianna Bui, Kathleen Leonard, Alexa Harris and Angeline Bui were third. Ocean City’s Scherbin, Stauffer, Teofanova and Buonadonna were second.
Ocean City wrapped up its regular season and heads into the playoffs. It is ranked fourth in power points in South Jersey Public B. Mainland is in the top spot, Clearview is second and Moorestown is third.
Story and Photos by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
