Sandpiper swim team getting better every day
BY VIN RAPOLLA
Staff Writer

CHRIS KELLY staff Kylie Suydam is one of the top swimmers once again for the Sandpipers swim team, as they look to establish themselves in the NJSDC’s toughest division.

The Sandpiper swim team has shown steady improvement over the past few seasons, making its way toward the top of the New Jersey Swimming and Diving Conference.

And Nathan Ruffner, who coaches the team out of the Crystal Springs Aquatic Center in East Brunswick, says this year’s team has continued on that path of improvement.

“Over the past five or six years, we’ve gotten better with each season, and have moved our way up through the various divisions,” he said. “Now we’re in the A League Red Division, which is the top division in the entire conference, after moving up from the White Division last year. So, we’re seeing all new teams this year.”

And Ruffner said that he noticed the difference immediately.

“This division is loaded with better, faster swimmers,” he said. “However, it’s very close between all of the teams in the division. As of Saturday, we’ve seen everyone in the division, and we now know we’re capable of beating anyone in the division.”

Saturday’s meet with Hillsborough was the Sandpipers’ first losing effort of the season, having knocked off Cranford, Metuchen and Brookside (non-divisional) earlier this summer.

The East Brunswick team was competitive with the loaded Hillsborough squad for most of the meet before the gap widened in the relay events. The final score was 161-115.

“It was a very close matchup until the relays, where they crushed us with their depth,” Ruffner said.

Ruffner added that his team was a bit depleted, with a number of his top 15- to 18-year-old swimmers missing the meet to participate with the Scarlet Aquatic Club, a year-round club that operates out of the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center on the Busch Campus of Rutgers University.

“Not having some of those guys certainly hurt us against Hillsborough,” Ruffner said.

However, the Sandpipers had their share of strong performances on Saturday, including a win from Anthony Steenvorden in the 9/10-year-old 100 freestyle, where he touched the wall in 1:18.29.

Scotty Huang, one of the team’s most impressive swimmers thus far, also posted a win in the 9/10 age group, winning the 50 backstroke in 39.62.

Another impressive youngster, Kylie Suydam, took first in the 11/12-year-old 50 freestyle, posting a time of 28.83 to lead a 1-2-3 finish for the Sandpipers. Teammates Vicky Borbes (29.32) and Melissa Co (30.72) completed the sweep.

In the 13/14-year-old age group, Jennie Zavoda took first in the girls 100 free (58.7), while Matt Polito won the 100 back in 1:12.4, followed by teammate Steve Schreyer in second (1:08.83).

Zavoda then came back to win the 100 free in 59.59, while Brendon Gilmartin won the 10-and-under 100 free in 1:18.63, with teammate Johan Higgins in third (1:21.02).

Aaron Moskovitch also gave the Sandpipers a win, taking the 13-18 200 freestyle in 2:05.55, while Dennis Jang won the 15-18 100 breaststroke in 1:09.8.

Among some of the other top finishers for the Sandpipers were Mia Sorkin — second in the 15-18 100 butterfly (1:10.85); Nolan Choi — second in the 8U 25 backstroke (23.51); Tracy Lindboe — second in the 15-18 100 free (1:03.25); Sahar Hillel — third in the 8U 25 back (25.1); Tim Chen — third in the 8U 25 breaststroke (30.3); Jasmine Lee — third in the 9/10 50 freestyle (37.5); and Nick Ankosko — second in the 11/12 50 backstroke (37.05).

The Sandpipers also got a win from the 200 freestyle relay team of Jim Mullin, Huang, Steenvorden and Ankosko in 2:12.60.

The East Brunswick squad was back in action yesterday with another match with Metuchen, and will take on Brookside in Milltown on Saturday. They will also be anxiously awaiting their July 27 rematch with Hillsborough, and a chance to avenge their only loss thus far.

Ruffner expects another tough meet, and hopes his team can rise to the challenge.

“We have a shot, but they are going to be our toughest competitors,” he said. “It will really depend on how our relays do. We need to close the gap there.”

As far as the rest of the season, Ruffner is keeping an open mind as to what to expect from his team.

“We’d love to not lose any more races, but I think with eight meets left, we could very realistically go 6-2, or possibly 7-1,” he said. “This team keeps getting better. Our 13/14 boys and girls have shown a lot of improvement already, and we didn’t have any returning swimmers to our 8-and-under group. They also have improved dramatically, especially Choi and Gina Gugliotta. They’re both doing very well.”

The same can be said for the entire Sandpipers team.