MAINSTAY: Princeton High girls’ swimmer Brianna Romaine heads to victory in the 100-meter backstroke in the finals of the Mercer County Swimming Championships last Saturday at WW/P-N. Senior star Romaine also won the 100 freestyle and helped PHS to victories and meet records in the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay. The Little Tigers cruised to the team title as they won their fourth straight county crown. Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Brianna Romaine helped set the tone for the Princeton High girls’ squad as it competed in the finals of the Mercer County Swimming Championships last Saturday at WW/P-N.
Swimming the backstroke leg to start the meet-opening 200-meter medley relay, senior star Romaine got PHS rolling on the way to setting a meet record of 2:00.04 as it cruised to victory by more than five seconds over runner-up Hopewell Valley.
“We took down the record in prelims and we had the goal going forward that we were just trying to get faster,” said Romaine.
“We were really excited; the energy was awesome in the first event so that helped.”
It was the first win of an awesome day for PHS as it placed first in eight of 11 events on the way to winning the title with 270 points, well ahead of second place Notre Dame, which totaled 221. It was the fourth straight county crown for PHS.
Romaine placed first in the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke while sophomore Abbey Berloco won the 50 free and 400 free on the way to being named Most Valuable Swimmer on the girls’ side at the meet. Junior Melinda Tang took first in the 200 free and third in the 400 free while senior Madeleine Deardoff prevailed the 100 butterfly and placed second in the 200 individual medley.
Romaine was particularly proud of her triumph in the 100 free as she clocked a time of 59.11 to edge Shanna Colyar by 0.17.
“I am predominantly a backstroker so last year I did the 200 free and this year I did the 100 free,” said Romaine, who is heading to Army West Point and will be joining its swimming program. “It was a close race, it was really exciting.”
Recovering from tonsillitis, Romaine got a lift from the cheering on the deck to push through to victory in the 100 back.
“I had tonsil surgery three weeks ago; I am feeling better,” said Romaine, who had a time of 1:05.16 in the win, more than three seconds faster than runner-up Chelsea Ackerson of Steinert. “It helps having everyone and the energy around, I get excited off of that. It is a long meet.”
Ending the meet with a win and another meet record in the 400 free relay provided an exciting county finale for Romaine.
“It was awesome, I could not have asked for anything else,” said Romaine as she combined with Berloco, Tang, and Deardorff to post a time of 3:57.39. “I was excited. It was very surreal. It is the best feeling.”
PHS head coach Carly Misiewicz asked her swimmers to go for it in the 400 free relay.
“I told them in the 400 free relay to just go up there and destroy everybody else,” said Misiewicz. “I said swim your own race and they did.”
Sophomore Berloco showed her racing prowess in earning her second straight Most Valuable Swimmer award.
“Abbey is a great swimmer, she is a true competitor,” said Misiewicz. “She will do anything we put her in, she will do the 400, the 50, the 100, or the 200. She always has that attitude that I can go out and win no matter what.”
Noting that Romaine had struggled with illness early in the season, Misiewicz liked the great swimming she got from the senior standout at the county meet.
“She had a big day, I am very happy for her,” said Misiewicz. “She looked great on Thursday in the preliminaries but was even better today.”
In reflecting on the program’s fourth straight county crown, Misiewicz pointed to her squad’s great sense of togetherness.
“I am lucky to have a great group of girls, it is really them,” said Misiewicz, who is in her second season as PHS head coach and third year with the program.
“They are such a team, they are committed to each other and the environment. They are really strong and really deep, maybe not as deep as last year but they were still able to pull together and do what we had to do.”
Even though it is undefeated in dual meet
competition this season, PHS will need to pull off some upsets in order to have a deep run in the state tournament as it is seeded fourth in the North 2 Group B sectional.
“I think we really needed this to see what we are able to do when we are put in a really tough situation,” said Misiewicz, whose team took second in the Public B tourney last year, falling to Scotch Plains-Fanwood in the championship meet.
“Everyone knows the bracket, Chatham and Scotch Plains are in our section this year. I told them just take it meet by meet and you can only do the best that you are capable of doing. We have a week and a half until we see Scotch Plains so we have got time to bring the yardage back up and get it down and be ready for it.”
No matter what happens in the state tournament, Romaine won’t soon forget her final county meet.
“It is all about having the most fun that you can, especially in the high school season, you are around all of your friends, you go to school with everybody,” said Romaine.
“This is still my favorite meet because I have so much fun here. Everyone is so supportive.”