First win for the Raiders over the Eagles since 2017
OCEAN CITY — It took four events before the Ocean City girls swim team was able to take and hold the lead over the visiting Egg Harbor Township Eagles. The meet remained close, but the Red Raiders beat the Eagles for the first time since 2017.
The final score was 91-79.
“It’s been an awesome start to the season,” Ocean City coach Ian Keyser said. “The first two meets have been great. That’s our first outright win over EHT since the 2017 season, so it’s been a little while. That was something we definitely had circled.
“They have been a model of consistency in the CAL (Cape-Atlantic League) the last eight plus years or so, so it’s always great to compete against them and this year to come out with a win has been awesome,” Keyser said.
“We obviously knew we were graduating a lot of talent last year and coming in today, so early in the season, we had hopes of times, but kind of had to wait and see if it was true,” EHT coach Mark Jamieson said. Last season, the Eagles won the South Jersey Public A title and made it all the way to the state finals, where they lost to Ridge.
“I’m really proud of our new swimmers, how they swam. Even though it’s not end-of-the-year times, there were big drops already the first week,” he added.
“Ocean City’s girls did a great job of closing the meet out. We were happy to keep it as close as we did,” Jamieson said.
“I’m very happy with how we did and excited to be back in the pool with everyone. It’s super fun,” said Ocean City’s Rachel Stauffer, who won two individual events and was the lead swimmer on the winning 200 medley relay team.
“I think I did well and we will only get better as the season goes on,” she added. “I hope that we win South Jerseys.”
“It was so exciting. Being with my team and being able to celebrate was such a cool experience,” fellow OCHS senior Abby Hays said. “We’ve gone against tough teams before but to go against a team like that and to win is so exciting.”
The Raiders hope to use the win over EHT as extra motivation.
“We’re hoping that we get to keep this going and keep on a winning streak. It would be so exciting to be able to get a South Jersey title for the first time in a while. We’re really hoping for the best,” Hays said.
She knows the Raider girls are taking on a tough Mainland Mustang team later this week.
“Obviously we’re hoping to win, but we’re really trying to keep this feeling going,” Hays said of the win over EHT. “This was such an exciting experience to be with everybody and do this. It was such fun.”
A points contributor for the team is freshman Kate Elder, who is enjoying her first season with the Raiders.
“I actually really like it. Everybody is really nice and it’s a really good team environment,” Elder said. “At the end of the day we’re all here for each other and all want what’s best.”
Jamieson said there are four girls he will be looking to this season, including Ady Elko, “one of the best swimmers in the state. She continues to perform wherever we need her to.” He noted Summer Dewitt, a member of the Ocean City Beach Patrol, “does a great job for us” and he cited Julia Latham and Rachel Yushan.
“The leadership we get out of those four girls is phenomenal,” he said.
OCHS 91, EHT 79
Although Ocean City won the opening 200-meter medley relay in 2 minutes, 6.58 seconds with Stauffer, Hays, Holly Aiken and Ryan Cooke, the Eagles took second and third. Julia Latham, Aubrey Davidson, Joey Napoli and Sydney Matuson were second and teammates Maya Zilovic, Emma Baird, Trina Grawl and Kacy Vilardi were third.
Eagles Dewitt (2:14.84) and Baird went 1-2 in the 200 freestyle with Raiders Elder and Hope Robbins third and fourth, to give EHT a 17-13 lead.
Eagle Elko won the 200 individual medley in 2:25.11, but Hays, Aiken and Grace Hays finished 2-3-4 to narrow the lead to 24-22.
Raiders Ryan Cooke (28.38 seconds), Brynn Gallagher and Mia Buonadonna were first, third and fourth in the 50 freestyle with EHT’s Latham second to give Ocean City the 33-29 lead. While the teams traded some victories in the remaining events, the Raiders were able to hold off the Eagles down the stretch.
Stauffer and Aiken followed up with a 1-2 finish in the 100 butterfly. Stauffer’s winning time was 1:08.69. EHT’s Yushan and Napoli were third and fourth.
Elko won the 100 freestyle in one minute flat with Zilovic fourth as Ocean City’s Cooke, Gallagher and Coryn Driscoll were second, third and fifth.
Dewitt and Latham helped the Eagles regain ground with a 1-2 finish in the 400 freestyle. Dewitt won in 4:52.43. Ocean City’s Elder, Grace Hays and Addie Robbins were third, fourth and fifth.
Abby Hays, Gallagher, Elder and Cooke won the 200 freestyle relay in 1:56.18 with Ocean City teammates Robbins, Carina Mattern, Katie Pierce and Bailee Quinn third. EHT’s Yushan, Baird, Dewitt and Elko were second.
Stauffer (1:09.08) won the 100 backstroke, her second individual win of the meet, with Buonadonna and Kamryn Smallwood third and fifth. EHT’s Grawl and Zilovic were second and fourth.
Abby Hays won the 100 breaststroke in 1:17.32 with Robbins fifth. EHT’s Yushan, Baird and Davidson were second, third and fourth.
Heading into the final event, the 400 freestyle relay, Ocean City was up 85-71.
EHT’s Dewitt, Latham, Yushan and Elko combined to win the relay in 4:15.56, but Ocean City’s Aiken, Elder, Gallagher and Stauffer were second and teammates Mattern, Driscoll, Robbins and Buonadonna were third for the final meet score of 91-79.
The Raider girls improved to 3-0 with a 128-42 victory over Southern Friday and are at Mainland at 4 p.m. Thursday.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
