The noise from the fans seemed to echo and bounce off the walls of the Westfield YMCA pool like rolling thunder. From the moment WHS boys swimming dove effortlessly into the crystal-clear water, their speed and agility became very clear as they easily surpassed Cranford’s swimmers in neighboring lanes. The Cranford Cougars were no match for the three-peat defending state champions, who victoriously defeated them 117-53.
From the first event of the match, the 200 Medley Relay, to the last event, Westfield stayed on top, always taking either first or second place, and on multiple occasions, sweeping first, second and third. Ultimately, Westfield ended up sweeping three of the events: the 200 Yard Free, the 500 Yard Free and the 200 Yard Relay.
After losing nine seniors who had a tremendous impact on the program last year, the Blue Devils’ lineup will change going into future matches. Head coach Jeff Knight said, “Now, there are these underclassmen who are very talented and there are spots to fill, so they need to be motivated to do that, which I know they are.”
Westfield is currently 2-0 after beating Union in their season opener 135-32. With many upcoming meets, one that sticks out to the team is their rivalry meet against Scotch Plains-Fanwood on Dec. 23. Senior co-captain Logan Welsh said, “We’re building to our Scotch Plains meet before break, which is going to be a big one, so today was beneficial in getting some reps, racing in the pool and building momentum”.
The success that the Blue Devils have experienced in the past and their dominance over the Cougars is reflective of the hard work the competitors put into practice. Senior Liam Mulkeen said, “A lot of our success comes from the effort we put into the pool. Most of our team competes in both club meets and high school meets, which definitely takes its toll on us, but helps us. I think in general we need to keep the energy up and keep the spirits high in order to continue our success.”
In agreement, Welsh acknowledged the team’s hard work and great mindset during practice. “Even though it’s individual swims, everyone’s working for each other to swim their best. We’re a very hardworking, practice-focused team, which really contributes to our success,” said Welsh.
Coming off a dominating victory against the Cougars, the Blue Devils look to continue their winning streak next Thursday at Governor Livingston at 6:15 p.m.
