Coming off a Group A state championship, Westfield’s girls swimming season kicks off this Thursday at home, against Kent Place.
Westfield finished as the top-ranked team in New Jersey with a perfect 16-0 overall record last season. The team went on to win the Union County championship, the North 2, Group A sectional championship, and the Group A state championship. Last year saw the graduation of six seniors, including star Erin McKinney, who went on to swim for Iona University.
“We lost a lot of good seniors last year so it is definitely going to be challenging to make up for them,” said senior co-captain Abby Bebel.
The team is led by coach Steve Whittington and senior captains Bebel and Lauren Lane. This year, the team will consist of 10 seniors, 6 juniors, 8 sophomores and 5 freshmen. “I want this new mix of athletes to learn to stay focused on our team goals and work together,” Whittington said.
Westfield faces difficult competition this year. The Blue Devils have early-season meets against Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Plainfield and Summit. Last season, the Blue Devils beat Scotch Plains, 102–68, and Plainfield, 140–13. The girls finished close with Summit but came out on top once again, 98-72. Summit finished its season ranked fourth in the state.
The Blue Devils will compete to win yet another state championship, though it may be difficult. After the loss of many seniors last year, there are many changes to the lineup, including the events in which the girls will participate. “Some people are going to have to step up and swim the 500 and 200 freestyle since those are some events we have big gaps in,” said Lane. “Everyone on the team wants the same thing to become state champs again so I think with hard work and determination we can repeat last season.”
With what seems to be an extremely deep team, the girls hope to continue their legacy and come out on top once again.
“In order to secure another state championship we will need to improve the team’s depth in each event,” Whittington said. “Championships are won in the outside lane. Every point matters. Every swimmer matters.”
