By Bill Alden
Emily Walden wasn’t thrilled when she joined the Princeton High girls’ swimming team in 2022.
“Freshman year, I didn’t like swimming too much,” said PHS senior captain Walden. “My parents swam, so they said you have to do it, and my older sibling did it. I was a little bit unsure.”
But Walden eventually found a home with the program. “I am not a club swimmer, but coming in with the older club swimmers, they were really welcoming,” said Walden. “We carry that mentality on.”
Last Wednesday, things came full circle for Walden as she was honored along with her classmates at the program’s annual Senior Day when the Tigers hosted Steinert.
“We wanted to have fun out there,” said Walden. “I think that the team atmosphere really stands out.”
PHS had a lot of fun in the meet as it rolled to a 129-37 win over the Spartans.
“We are split, the club swimmers go to their practices and we are here,” said Walden, who does all of her training with the high school team. “Everyone is working hard and it all works out. It is the mindset of everyone working hard. We just wanted to go out and have fun but we swam as hard as we could.”
Walden put in some good work in the relays, helping the 200-yard medley relay and 200 freestyle relay to victories, swimming the anchor leg in both races.
“We just wanted to go out and have fun but we swam as hard as we could,” said Walden, referring to the 200 medley relay, the first event of the meet. “That 200 free was a lot of fun. We did a relay of only seniors. We wanted to bring that one home and we got it.”
In her individual swims, Walden took second in both the 50 and 100 free races.
“I am definitely more of a sprinter,” said Walden. “I don’t like to swim the long stuff, so they went pretty well.”
Things have gone well from Walden and her classmates over the years as they started their career by helping PHS go 14-0 in 2022-23 as th Tigers won the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group B state championship.
“I have been swimming with the seniors for four years, so we are pretty close,” said Walden. “We try to make the whole team feel included. We all know how each other swims and it translates to the pool as well.”
PHS head coach Pat Remboski credits his seniors with making a big impact on the team.
“It has been fun watching them progress over the four years,” said Remboski, whose senior group includes Annie Flanagan, Vivian Lee, Julia McGoldrick, Nia Zagar, Carina He, and Emma Liu in addition to Walden. “I was super proud of their times tonight. Their overall commitment to the team and their leadership is so important. It helps the younger swimmers to see like ‘oh that can be me’ and ‘that will be me.’ These are the things that I need to do.”
In the view of Remboski, Walden exemplifies that brand of leadership.
“She is one of those swimmers who demonstrates the importance of being consistent and getting in here all of the time,” said Remboski. “Emily is going to going to show that matters, her times are getting faster and faster. It is all coming together and it is exciting to watch and be a part of. She is a great leader. She is calm on the pool deck and her presence calms everyone down and makes everyone feel welcome which is the most important part.”
The pair of Annie Flanagan and sophomore Jenna Barry produced exciting performances against Steinert. Flanagan took first in the 50 free and while Barry placed first in both the 200 free and 100 butterfly.
“I am happy to see Annie back, she was dealing with a sickness but she is back and at full strength,” said Remboski. “I am super proud of her performances tonight and throughout the season so far. Annie is one who is quiet, she leads with her swimming. They are both gamers, they love the competition and they thrive off of it.”
PHS, who went on to lose 92-78 to Notre Dame last Friday to move to 7-2, is next in action when it competes in Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) championships with the finals slated for January 24 at WW/P-North and will then start action in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) state tournament.
“We are going to recover tomorrow and give it our best on Friday, and then go from there,” said Remboski. “Hopefully we will have some good times, regardless of the result and hopefully that will propel us into the CVC and then states. We are excited to see what happens and who our matchup will be in states, depending on power points.”
Walden, for her part, is confident that PHS will be at its best as it looks to win the CVC meet for the fourth straight year.
“I think we are in a good place, a lot of people have been coming back from sickness,” said Walden. “We are going to be at full health for Notre Dame, it is a good meet to prepare us for the CVC. Then we have the week to taper and hopefully we will get ready. I just know that everybody is going to swim their hardest.”