Madison, Chatham win girls swimming sectional titles

PERTH AMBOY – The Madison girls swimmers couldn't stop screaming. Different swimmers held the NJSIAA North 2-C trophy over her head, and the rest of the group would start up again. It was passed between the captains, then the seniors. Each time, a new chorus of cheers rang out at the Raritan Bay YMCA pool.

The Dodgers defeated West Morris, 88-82, to capture their first sectional title.

Madison senior Owen Weller had been tracking the points from behind the blocks. Before the final relay, Weller told the top-seeded Dodgers girls they had to finish second to win the meet.

They did just that, taking second and third.

"We didn't want to celebrate too soon," Madison senior Karen Wu said. "It was worth the wait. We were waiting for that moment, the numbers, the people calling us over, and the screaming just happened."

It is the first time either team has reached a sectional final, though Madison's boys lost the 2016 title meet to Chatham.

Madison head coach Nancy Conroy Lieb and her sister Kathy Conroy won back-to-back state titles at Haddonfield in the mid-1970s. Assistant coach Lisa Moretti, who swam at Morristown Beard and still holds the Morris County yards records in the individual medley and backstroke, called the sectional title "the highlight of my coaching career."

The Dodgers' coaches believe they're going to face Haddonfield in a Public C semifinal on Tuesday.

"We did a lot of research beforehand. We scouted their highest power-point meets," Moretti said. "The captains (Weller and Fiona Beacom) helped us out with lineup ideas."

Wu was first in the 50-yard freestyle and butterfly. Madison sophomore Layla Knoll won the 200 free, and junior Emma Dooley won the 500 free. Dodgers junior Erin Barisonek was first in backstroke.

West Morris junior Taylor Weth edged Barisonek by seven hundredths of a second in the individual medley.

Wolfpack senior Alexandra Lozanguiez won the 100 freestyle – going 1-2 with teammate Taylor Ford – and breaststroke. Third-seeded West Morris won the 200 and 400 free relays, breaking a school record that dated back 13 years to the inaugural team to wrap up the meet.

"It's pretty exciting," said coach Samantha Beatrice, a former Wolfpack swimmer herself. "We've had a lot of A and B swimmers who worked really hard. Those kids, they've been fighting all season."

Chatham girls roar in sectional final

After Chatham defeated Summit, 91-79, to win the NJSIAA Public 2-C title, coach Laura Hartnett had a very important job. Hartnett had to check the championship off the Cougars' oversized list of season goals.

After winning their 14th Morris County title, and defending the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference South II championship, the sectional crown was next.

There's only one more box for Chatham to check: the NJSIAA Public B championship.

It was a poignant moment for Cougars senior Flora Jeng.

She was a freshman when Chatham beat the Hilltoppers to win its last sectional title in 2020. Now, her sister Gloria Jeng is a Cougars freshman, one of a large class that has contributed to all the goals.

"It's kind of crazy to be back here," said Flora Jeng, who went 1-2 with her sister in the 100-yard freestyle – three hundredths of a second apart, and was also part of the Cougars' winning 200 free relay.

"Three years ago, it was the same thing, but I was a freshman. Now I'm the oldest on the team, and my sister's a freshman. ... The win feels more earned. It feels great to have a sectional title."

More:History made as Chatham girls, boys defend Morris County swim titles

Second-seeded Summit didn't make it easy, winning four of the first five events. Sophomore Sidney Arcella was first in the 200 free and butterfly. Cecelia and Julia Webb went 1-2 in the 50 free, giving the Hilltoppers a six-point lead.

But then the Jeng sisters struck back, followed by Madeline and Katie Crawford in the 500 free. Chatham took a two-point lead it would not relinquish.

The Cougars won the 200 free relay and freshman Kiera Harkins out-touched Summit's Molly Fagan in backstroke. Junior Alison Barton claimed her second individual title, adding breaststroke to the individual medley, and Chatham was a single point from clinching the meet.

"It's been so exciting," Barton said. "From the beginning of the season, we knew this was our goal, and we've been focused. Last year, we didn't make it here, so we wanted to fight as hard as we could to get as far as we could."

Public II-B: Chatham 91, Summit 79

Medley relay: Summit (Molly Fagan, Cecelia Webb, Juliet Ho, Juliet Webb) 1:50.84; 200 freestyle: Sidney Arcella (S) 1:49.95; 200 individual medley: Alison Barton (C) 2:11.83; 50 freestyle: C. Webb (S) 24.45; 100 butterfly: Arcella (S) 56.6; 100 freestyle: Flora Jeng (C) 53.9; 500 freestyle: Madeline Crawford (C) 5:11.09; 200 free relay: Chatham (Barton, G. Jeng, Katie Crawford, F. Jeng) 1:39.01; 100 backstroke: Kiera Harkins (C) 1:00.24; 100 breaststroke: Barton (C) 1:10.04; 400 free relay: Summit (Ho, Grace Collins, Ella Callahan, Arcella) 3:37.97.

Team records: Chatham 13-0, Summit 11-2.

Site of meet: Raritan Bay YMCA. Distances in yards.

Public II-C: Madison 88, West Morris 82

Medley relay: Madison (Erin Barisonek, Isabella Guarino, Karen Wu, Layla Knoll) 1:55.85; 200 freestyle: Knoll (M) 2:10.88; 200 individual medley: Taylor Weth (WMC) 2:15.11; 50 freestyle: Wu (M) 25.09; 100 butterfly: Wu (M) 1:02.18; 100 freestyle: Alexandra Lozanguiez (WMC) 54.53; 500 freestyle: Emma Dooley (M) 5:56.57; 200 free relay: West Morris (Abby Ford, Sofia Goncharuk, Jillian Weinberger, Taylor Ford) 1:49.78; 100 backstroke: Barisonek (M) 1:02.4; 100 breaststroke: Lozanguiez (WMC) 1:09.59; 400 free relay: West Morris (Weth, A. Ford, T. Ford, Lozanguiez) 3:50.62.

Team records: Madison 8-2, West Morris 7-4.

Site of meet: Raritan Bay YMCA. Distances in yards.

Public I-C: Kinnelon 95, Mountain Lakes 75

Medley relay: Kinnelon 1:50.32; 200 freestyle: Lorelai Page (ML) 1:55.34; 200 individual medley: Anna Kilponen (K) 2:11.63; 50 freestyle: Samantha Benzija (K) 24.48; 100 butterfly: Kilponen (K) 57.82; 100 freestyle: Jessica Tsang (ML) 55.92; 500 freestyle: Ellie DeKeukelaere (K) 5:26.06; 200 free relay: Mountain Lakes 1:44.24; 100 backstroke: Benzija (K) 57.21; 100 breaststroke: Zoe Davies (K) 1:07.84; 400 free relay: Kinnelon 3:48.28.

Team records: Kinnelon 11-0, Mountain Lakes 9-3.

Site of meet: Passaic Tech. Distances in yards.

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: NJ swimming: Madison, Chatham win girls sectional titles