OCEAN CITY — Last season, a big senior class helped propel the Mustang girls swim team to its second South Jersey championship in four years.
The Mainland Regional High School girls beat Shawnee 89-81 to claim that sectional title and now, head coach Mike Demarest said, he’s looking to see how his underclassmen perform this season.
The Mustangs are off to a solid 3-1 start. They lost the season opener 99-71 to Our Lady of Mercy Academy and then rebounded with a 122-48 win over Cedar Creek and last week beat a depleted Ocean City team 109-61. On Dec. 19, the Mainland girls topped Vineland 97-73.
“We had a big senior class that graduated. This year, we have a lot of juniors, sophomores and freshmen that have a lot of opportunity to step up and fill those spots,” Demarest said. “We’re excited to see how those girls step up and fill in there.
“Besides that, we’re having a lot of fun. We’ve been focused a lot on our individual goals and the longer start for the season than last year. We’ve actually been able to focus on those things a little more and some technique work,” he said.
“So we’re off to a really good start. We’re having a good time.”
The team lost a number of talented swimmers from last year, including Alivia Wainwright, Aixell Perez-Mercedes and Leah Nirenberg.
The younger girls now “have the opportunity to step in and swim more individual events, so it’s been exciting so far,” Demarest said.
Among his stud swimmers are Ryann Lowry, who has already committed to swim for Rowan University next year.
Others who have been stepping up include Hailey Kearns, Taylor Funk, Sasha Rimska and Reese McEvoy, all juniors.
A “huge part of our lineup” is Ella Mokienko, a sophomore, and there are freshmen adding to the team’s depth, Demarest said.
“Obviously like to get back there (to the South Jersey finals), but we’re kind of just taking it one step at a time right now,” he said.
In the team’s Dec. 17 meet against Ocean City, McEvoy and Funk teamed with Avari Thoensen and Ella Wainwright to win the 200-meter medley relay and Lowry joined Funk, Wainwright and Thoensen to win the 200 freestyle relay.
Lowry won the 200 and 400 freestyle, Wainwright won the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle, McEvoy took the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke, and Thoensen won the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke.
“We’re just building out our culture a little bit and focusing on day-to-day stuff,” Demarest said.
The girls were swimming against Absegami on Monday after the Sentinel went to press, then they’ll have a long winter break from competition. The Mustangs are back in action hosting Egg Harbor Township at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7. They’ll be at Atlantic City on Jan. 14, at Oakcrest on Jan. 22, and then home hosting Haddon Township at 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
