SWEEPING THROUGH: Princeton High boys’ swimmer Daniel Baytin displays his breaststroke form in a meet earlier this year. Last Monday, junior star Baytin won both the 50 and 100 freestyle races at the Mercer County Swimming Championships to help PHS win the boys’ team title. The PHS girls’ squad also took first at the meet. It marked the first county crown for the boys since 2014 and the first for the girls since 2016. It was the first county title sweep for the Tigers since 2014. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

When the finals of the Mercer County Swimming Championships were moved to Monday from Saturday due to the snowstorm that walloped the area over the weekend, it simply delayed the inevitable.

With the Princeton High boys’ and girls’ squads having both gone undefeated this winter in dual meets and having excelled in the preliminary sessions last Thursday and Friday, they continued their dominance on Monday by sweeping the team titles.

The PHS boys piled up 265 points to top runner-up WW/P-North by 40 points while the Tiger girls had a score of 336 with Pennington taking second at 254 in the meet held at WW/P-North. It marked the first county crown for the boys since 2014 and the first for the girls since 2016. It was the first county title sweep for the Tigers since 2014.

PHS head coach Carly Misiewicz, who guides both squads, knew that her swimmers were seen as the favorites coming into the meet.

“My message to them is that the target is on our back,  everyone is coming for us, everyone is coming for Princeton,” said Misiewicz.

“They want to beat us. You love to be the ones hunting down. It is also a little thrilling to a certain extent to know that we are the top dogs and people are coming to take us.”

The delay proved to be a benefit to PHS as it got a chance to catch its breath after competing hard in the preliminary sessions.

“I think some of us were a little bit tired during prelims, guys and girls,” said Misiewicz. “It was good in that there was no club practice for anyone on Saturday because everything was closed with the storm. We were able to get in and train as a team on Sunday together. We had some easy, light swimming and loosened out all of the kinks and get all of the lactic acid out. I think they really did help us and set us up to perform the way we did today.”

The boys got some great performances as junior star Daniel Baytin took first in both the 50 and 100 freestyle races while David Xu won the 200 individual medley and took second in 100 butterfly.  Xu’s twin brother, Jaiden, placed third in 200 IM and fifth in the 100 breaststroke while Julian Velazquez took fourth in 100 fly and sixth in the 200 free. The Tigers closed the meet by winning the 400 free relay by more than two seconds.

“My message to them as a team was that our goal needs to be that we either have to hold our place or move up, those are our only two options,” said Misiewicz.

“They were pumped, they were excited from the get-go. It was really, really cool to see it unfold.”

The Tigers had to overcome a mishap as its 200 free relay was disqualified in the prelims.

“We had to start the meet in the hole 32 points, knowing that North was potentially going to win that 200 free relay,” said Misiewicz.

“They did end up winning it so you are giving up 32 points right there. Going into that we were up like 70 something. I knew that lead was going to be cut in half. The guys showed up, they were ready to race and they did.”

In the view of Misiewicz, all of her guys raced their hardest.

“That is the big thing, it really was a true team effort, from start to finish from the medley relay all the way to the 400 free relay,” said Misiewicz. “The best way to describe it is like a true team effort. It was a true team win today.”

Misiewicz got a great effort across the board from her girls’ squad as well.

“We won as a team today,” said Misiewicz, noting that every swimmer she brought to the county meet advanced to either the A or B final.

“As a team, we came together. We put the work in and we all had a common goal that we were fortunate enough to accomplish together.”

PHS was fortunate to get a big performance from sophomore Kyleigh Tangen.

“Kyleigh won the 100 freestyle and finished second in the 200 free,” said Misiewicz. “She was a huge contributor in the 200 free relay, which we ended up winning and she anchored the 400 free relay which we also won. She had a phenomenal meet.”

Courtney Weber also had a phenomenal meet, winning both the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke. Beatrice Cai took third in the 200 IM and fourth in the 100 fly, while Sabine Ristad placed third in the 400 free and third in the 200 free.

Misiewicz was not surprised to see her girls come up big at the county meet.

“This group of girls is special, they are really, really a true team,” said Misiewicz. “You just get a different vibe from them, they just have fun together. I said to them beforehand, counties is about having fun. High school swimming is about having fun but it is also fun to win.”

PHS is hoping to have fun in the upcoming state team tournament.

“I think we are going to have to take it one meet at a time,” said Misiewicz. “They are both excited, they know that it is not going to be easy.”

The boys’ squad is in line to be seeded first in its sectional and will likely be challenged by rival WW/P-N.

“On the boys’ side we have North,” said Misiewicz. “We beat them before, we just beat them in counties. We really without a doubt have that target on our back with them. I know they are going to come in hungry. If I were in their shoes I would feel the same way, this is our chance to take Princeton down.”

As for the girls, they will likely be seeded fourth in a sectional loaded with powerhouses and will need to raise its level like they did at the county meet.

“As far as finding that other gear, this weekend proved to the girls that they have got that other gear,” said Misiewicz. “I think that we found it. The girls are ready, I think they are up for the challenge. We are excited, we are exactly where we need to be.”

No matter what happens in states, Misiewicz is excited by how her swimmers have competed this winter.

“As a coach, I couldn’t be more proud of them, rising to the occasion, truly not giving up and just going after it from the very start,” said Misiewicz.

“The regular season and ranking and all of that stuff is good. At the end of the day, it is not everything. As soon as you get to the tournament season with states and counties, anything can happen.”

And some really good things happened for PHS last Monday.