Raider lost regular-season meet 86-84 to Mainland
OCEAN CITY — Ocean City High School’s girls swim coach hopes the South Jersey sectional final comes down to his team and rival Mainland Regional.
The Mustangs bested the Raiders 86-84 when the two teams faced each other in mid-December.
“Hopefully it ends up the two of us at the end of the year because it always makes for exciting meets when the two of us get together,” coach Ian Keyser said.
Mainland and Ocean City have traded places atop the Power Point rankings this season. At the end of last week, the Mustangs (8-1) had the barest edge of 3,166.67 points to No. 2 Ocean City (7-2) at 3,162. Shawnee was third at 2,946.
“That (December) meet came down to inches the last time. We’re hopeful to get another shot at them,” Keyser said. “Shawnee is right there, too. They’re the defending South Jersey champs. They’re in that three-seed right now laying low. They have a lot of star power and a lot of potential, but hopefully we’re seeing Mainland at the end of the year.”
On Jan. 16, the Raider girls beat Clearview Regional 100-70 and the next day beat Middle Township 129-41.
Keyser was pleased with his team after the Clearview meet.
“I thought we swam very well. Clearview is a great team. They’re within our Group B so we wanted to come out and have a great showing. I thought we swam well from the beginning with the medley relay all the way through the (final) 400 freestyle relay. We’re very concerned with the seedings for the playoffs, so this was huge to have this meet going into the end of the regular season,” he said.
“We were happy with how we swam from our A lane through our C lane. We’re pleased with the effort and the times all around,” he added.
The coach noted the regular season “can be a grind.” The team had three meets last week, including a 131-36 win over Oakcrest on Jan. 13.
“We’re in the grind of this regular season coming to an end, so we’re a little tired,” he said.
With the final regular season meet today (Jan. 22) at 4 p.m. at Atlantic City High School, Keyser said his team is going to work on fundamentals to prepare for the state tournament.
“We’ll start fine-tuning, working on a little more speed, working on the little things about starts and turns and really putting more of a focus on those little things,” he said. “The season is shortened, but it is a grind during those winter months. We’ve already put in that work and that yardage.”
The girls have the Cape-Atlantic League championships at 4 p.m. Jan. 30 at Atlantic City High School. The sectional tournament begins Feb. 3.
OCHS 110, Clearview 60
The Raider girls won the opening 200-meter medley relay in 2 minutes, 5.82 seconds with Rachel Stauffer, Abby Hays, Holly Aiken and Ryan Cooke; teammates Mia Buonadonna, Marina Zappone, Grace Bridgeford and Katie Pierce were third. Clearview’s Sarah Propert, Sophia Duckworth, Brynn Schiavo and Caroline Pennington were second.
Schiavo (2:17.00) and Kate Yanek were first and fifth in the 200 freestyle. Ocean City’s Kate Elder, Hope Robbins and Addie Robbins were second, third and fourth.
Abby Hays (2:29.16) won the 200 individual medley. Aiken and Grace Hays were second and fourth. Clearview’s Sophia Duckworth was third.
Ryan Cooke took the 50 freestyle in 28.11 seconds. Buonadonna and Brynn Gallagher were third and fourth. Clearview’s Allison Schiavo were second.
Stauffer (1:09.92) and Aiken were first and second in the 100 butterfly with Zappone fifth. Clearview’s Propert and Avery Miloszewski were third and fourth.
Allison Schiavo won the 100 freestyle of Clearview in 1:02.25. Ocean City’s Cooke, Buonadonna and Gallagher were second, third and fourth.
Clearview’s Brynn Schiavo (4:48.03) won the 400 freestyle. For Ocean City, Elder, Grace Hays and Addie Robbins were second, third and fourth.
Raiders Abby Hays, Gallagher, Buonadonna and Cooke won the 200 freestyle relay and teammates Katie Pierce, Hope Robbins, Carina Mattern and Elder were second. Clearview’s Mia Borodin, Pennington, Kristy DiGiacomo and Allison Schiavo were second.
Stauffer won her second individual event, the 100 backstroke, in 1:07.26 with Kamryn Smallwood and Grace Bridgeford third and fourth. Clearview’s Propert was second.
Abby Hays won her second individual event, the 100 breaststroke, in 1:17.46. Hope Robbins and Zappone were third and fourth. Clearview’s Duckworth was second.
The teams battled through the final event, the 400 freestyle relay, with Clearview coming away with the win in 4:22.43 behind Brynn Schiavo, Propert, Duckworth and Allison Schiavo. Just over a tenth of a second later were Aiken, Elder, Gallagher and Stauffer in 4:22.55. Ocean City’s Carina Mattern, Coryn Driscoll, Grace Hays and Hope Robbins were second.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
