Girls Swim Team Starts Off Season Strong, with Three Big Wins and One Loss
Members of the girls swim team celebrate after a recent win against Mount Olive. Clockwise, from top left: Peyton Enama, Ana Venla, Livia Fontes, Alivia Wright, Jenny Bloom, Jane Doran, Isabel Kao, Leah Ohlssen, Aishvi Mehta, Megan Yoga, Christa Kayal, Katie Chang, Anjelina Fernandes and Sydney Wright. Front left: Caroline Kovacs.
January 12, 2023
The Randolph Girls Swim team has enjoyed a 3-1 record so far in the 2022-2023 season, placing them third in the NJAC Southern 1 division as of press time. The new record shows early signs of potential improvement over last year’s disappointing 4-5 record.
The girls started off the new season strong with two wins before winter break, beating Montville 107-63 on Monday, Dec. 19, at CCM, and beating Mount Olive on Dec. 22, 114-55, also at CCM.
The team suffered its first setback in the new year, losing 99-71 against Mountain Lakes on Jan. 5, but rebounded four days later with a 116-54 win against St. Elizabeth on Jan. 9.
“I am looking forward to seeing how the new team performs because there are a lot of new freshmen and sophomores,” senior co-captain Isabel Kao explained. “I feel privileged to be able to help them when they come to me; it’s empowering,” Kao said, when asked about her role as co-captain.
At the season-opener meet on Dec. 19, Randolph’s win against Montville was significant as it set the right tone for the current season. Randolph started it off by coming in a close second on the 200-yard medley relay swum by sophomore Ana Sanguillo Leppanen, Kao, freshman Peyton Enama and junior Camilla Pena with a time of 2:07.63.
The Rams followed up with a win in the 200 freestyle by senior co-captain Caroline Kovacs (2:11.84), the 100 freestyle by freshman Sydney Wright (59.27) and the 100 butterfly by Kovacs (1:07.50).
The Rams continued to dominate that season-opener meet in the 500 freestyle by Saguillo Leppanen (6:07.05), and the 200 freestyle relay by senior Christa Kayal, Kovacs, Wright and Pena (1:53.43). The Rams finished the meet winning seven of the eleven races they swam, gaining 107 points for the meet.
“Starting our season with wins for both the boys and girls teams was an amazing feeling,” freshman Jane Doran said. “I am happy our season has started so strong, and I look forward to improving in my events and pushing to be the best I can over the next four years with this amazing team.”
At press time, the girls were scheduled to face Pequannock next, on Thursday, Jan. 12, at Morris County College.
