WINTER STORM: Princeton High girls’ basketball player Anna Winters drives to the basket in a game this winter. Freshman forward Winters emerged as star for PHS in her debut campaign, leading the Tigers in scoring with 296 points. PHS posted a final record of 13-12, winning the Mercer County Invitational along the way. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For the Princeton High girls’ basketball team, winning the Mercer County Invitational in the last week of the season was a major confidence builder for the young squad.

“It was very exciting; we were prepping for that and we definitely got on a little bit of a run,” said PHS head coach Dave Kosa, whose team topped Princeton Day School 48-32 in the MCI quarterfinals on February 11 before edging Hopewell Valley 33-30 in the semis three days later and edging Steinert 41-39 on February 17 in the final in the tourney which was ‘B’ bracket of the Mercer County Tournament. more

IN STRIDE: Hun School boys’ hockey player Vincent Gregoire streaks up the ice in recent action. Senior defenseman Gregoire helped Hun go 11-13 this winter as it advanced to the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference (APAC) semifinals. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Heading into the final week of the season, the Hun School boys’ hockey team had plenty to play for and it rose to the occasion with two key wins.

Hun defeated Malvern Prep (Pa.) 5-2 in the first round of the Atlantic Prep Athletic Conference (APAC) playoffs and then posted a 5-2 victory over local rival Princeton Day School in a regular season meeting before falling 5-1 to La Salle College High (Pa.) in the APAC semis.

In the playoff win, Hun posted its third straight victory over Malvern Prep this winter, having previously topped the Friars 4-2 and 2-1 in two regular season meetings. more

ROSE IN BLOOM: Princeton High senior Ava Rose is all smiles last Saturday at Atlantic City as she shows off her path to victory at 114 pounds at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Girls’ State Wrestling Championships. It marked the second straight state title for Rose, who is headed to the University of Iowa where she will be competing for its women’s wrestling program. (Photo provided by Bruce Rose)

By Justin Feil

Ava Rose completed a dominant run to her second straight New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Girls’ State Wrestling Championship.

It’s another achievement for the Princeton High School senior, who has far bigger aspirations, including an Olympic gold medal.

“It was a lot cooler,” said Rose of capturing back-to-back crowns at 114 pounds. “It was really awesome. I didn’t really take it all in until I was on the podium, and then I was looking around.” more

NO FEAR: Princeton High boys’ hockey goalie Noah Vitulli makes a save in action this winter. Sophomore Vitulli emerged as a key performer for the Tigers in his first season of varsity action. PHS won the Mercer County Tournament and advanced to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Public A state tournament quarterfinals this winter on the way to posting a 15-7-1 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Heading into its first-round contest of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Public A state tournament at Passaic Tech, the Princeton High boys’ hockey team didn’t know exactly what it was getting into.

“It was a game where we didn’t have much intel about them and I don’t know what they knew about us,” said PHS first-year head coach Rik Johnson as he looked ahead to the February 23 contest.

Coming off a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory against Hopewell Valley in the Mercer County Tournament final a week earlier, the Tigers were determined to stick their winning formula. more

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS: Princeton High girls’ hockey head coach Christian Herzog addresses his players during a stoppage of play in a game at Hobey Baker Rink this season. The Tigers stuck together as they posted a 0-15 record this winter. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Although the Princeton High girls’ hockey team didn’t taste victory this winter, Christian Herzog had a positive message for his players at their year-end banquet.

“I was, ‘Look ladies, I appreciate you sticking with it — the season is what it is,’” said PHS head coach Herzog, whose squad ended up with a final record of 0-15. “‘You could tell that your hockey skills got better from the first practice to the last game; 99 percent of the girls on this team are still new to ice hockey. We have a lot of sophomores and freshmen.’” more

INSIDE JOB: Hun School boys’ basketball player Anthony Aririguzoh heads to the basket in a game this season. Senior star Aririguzoh provided leadership and production this winter to help Hun go 14-13 and advance to the semis of both the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) and Prep A state tournaments. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For the Hun School boys’ basketball team, its two games against the Lawrenceville School this winter proved to be a microcosm of a season filled with highs and lows.

In a regular season meeting between the local rivals on January 31, Hun sputtered in a disappointing 85-65 loss. But when the foes met in the first round of the Prep A state tournament two weeks later, the Raiders turned the tables on the Big Red, rallying from a late deficit to pull out a dramatic 68-66 win as Anthony Aririguzoh drained a half-court buzzer beater. more

STICKING POINT: Princeton University men’s lacrosse player Coulter Mackesy looks to elude a defender in a recent game. Last Saturday, sophomore attacker Mackesy tallied three goals but it wasn’t enough as Princeton fell 11-5 to defending national champion Maryland. The Tigers, now 2-1, will look to get back in the winning track as they host Georgetown on March 4. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For the Princeton University men’s lacrosse team, powerhouse Maryland proved to be its kryptonite last spring.

Last February, Princeton fell 15-10 to the Terps in a regular season contest. On Memorial Day weekend, the Tigers lost 13-8 to Maryland in the NCAA semis as the Terps went to win the national title to cap an undefeated campaign.

Last Saturday, when the foes met for an early season showdown at Class of 52 Stadium, the Tigers had last year’s setbacks in the rear view mirror.

“It is a very different team for us this year and for them too so there was not too much harping on those two last season,” said Princeton head coach Matt Madalon, whose squad came into the game ranked No. 3 nationally in the Inside Lacrosse media poll with Maryland at No. 9. “We were just trying to put our guys in a good position to win.” more

PERFECT ENDING: Princeton High girls’ swimmer Beatrice Cai displays her breaststroke form in a race this season. Last Saturday, senior star Cai placed third in the 200-yard individual medley and 100 butterfly to help third-seeded PHS defeat top-seeded Chatham 91-79 in New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group B state final. PHS ended the season with a 14-0 record as it earned the program’s first girls’ state title since 1993. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Things were quiet around the Princeton High girls’ swim team as it went on a bus ride last Saturday morning down to the Gloucester County Institute of Technology pool for a battle of unbeatens against Chatham in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group B state final.

“It was very early in the morning so it wasn’t that loud, a lot of people were still tired, getting up early,” said PHS senior star Beatrice Cai. “Our boys’ team had gone against Chatham last year in the state finals and they lost, so we kind of wanted to win this for the boys. We were all very nervous about that part.” more

WILL TO WIN: Princeton Day School boys’ hockey player Will Brown streaks up the ice in a game earlier this season. Senior defenseman and assistant captain Brown tallied two goals and one assist as fifth-seeded PDS defeated 12th-seeded Morristown-Beard 5-2 last Wednesday in first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public tournament. Last Monday, the Panthers fell 8-4 to fourth-seededGloucester Catholic in the Non-Public quarterfinals to end the season with a 7-11-3 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It was Will Brown’s last game at McGraw Rink for the Princeton Day School boys’ hockey team and he wanted to make it a special evening.

“I was excited to play and just go out and put on a good show and get a win with the team,” said PDS senior defenseman Brown, reflecting on the matchup last Thursday which pitted fifth-seeded PDS against 12th-seeded Morristown Beard in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public tournament.

“It is a great group of guys here and we just wanted to keep playing for one more. We didn’t want to have it end on our home ice.” more

TOURNAMENT RUN: Princeton Day School girls’ hockey player Emily McCann, right, goes after the puck in recent action. Last Thursday, junior forward McCann, who also stars in cross country and track, tallied a goal and an assist to help fourth-seeded PDS defeat 13th-seeded Newark East Side 8-1in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) girls’ hockey state tournament. On Monday, PDS edged fifth-seeded Summit 1-0 in the state quarterfinals. The Panthers, now 7-5-3, face top-seeded Morristown-Beard in the state semis on March 2 with the victor advancing to the title game on March 6 at the Prudential Center in Newark. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Emily McCann got things rolling for the Princeton Day school girls’ hockey team as it started play in the NJSIAA girls’ hockey state tournament by hosting Newark East Side last Thursday afternoon.

Just over four minutes into the first period, junior forward McCann poked in a rebound to give fourth-seeded PDS a 1-0 lead over 13th-seeded Newark East Side in the opening round contest.

“I was just trying to get my rebound that was there,” said McCann. “I was just trying to get things moving, especially so the rest of the team could play.” more

OVERJOYED: Princeton High boys’ hockey player Ethan Garlock celebrates after scoring a goal last week in the Mercer County Tournament. Last Wednesday, senior forward and captain Garlock scored the winning goal in overtime as second-seeded PHS edged fourth-seeded Hopewell Valley 3-2 in the MCT title game. The Tigers, who improved to 14-6-1 as they earned the program’s first county crown since 2020, will start play in the state tournament this week. PHS is seeded 10th in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Public A state tourney and will play at seventh-seeded Passaic Tech in a first-round contest on February 23. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For Ethan Garlock, helping the Princeton High boys’ hockey team win a Mercer County Tournament title has been a goal of his for years.

“For a lot of the seniors, we had older brothers and we would come to this game countless times as a kid in the stands,” said PHS senior forward and captain Garlock. “We knew that once we were seniors, we were going to play in the game and take control and come out on top. We worked for this moment all of our lives.”

Last Wednesday evening, Garlock and his teammates got that chances as second-seeded PHS faced fourth-seeded Hopewell Valley in the MCT title game before a packed house at the Mercer County Skating Center.

The Tigers brought some extra motivation into the contest, having lost 7-2 to Notre Dame in the MCT final last winter.

“We had that game on rewind today, we were getting psyched,” said Garlock. “We knew coming into this game there was no such thing as satisfaction; we would have to work until that final buzzer.” more

FINAL LAP: Princeton High boys’ swimmer Julian Velazquez displays his butterfly form in a meet this winter. Last Friday, senior star Velazquez placed first in the 100-yard freestyle to provide a highlight as PHS fell 90-80 to Chatham in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey 2, Group B sectional final. The defeat left the Tigers with a final record of 13-1. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Last winter, the Princeton High boys’ swim team rolled to an undefeated regular season, winning the Mercer County championship meet and the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Central Jersey, Group B sectional title on the way to facing powerhouse Chatham in the state final.

The Cougars proved to be a roadblock to a perfect campaign for PHS as they posted a 97-73 win over the Tigers.

This season, PHS went undefeated in regular season meets and won a
second straight county crown and found Chatham waiting for it last Friday night at the Raritan Bay YMCA in the NJSIAA North Jersey 2, Group B sectional final. 

The Tigers were primed for the rematch with the Cougars, who brought a 12-0 record into the showdown.

“We knew what they had depth-wise and what were up against based on last year,” said PHS head coach Carly Misiewicz. “The mindset was we can do anything we set our minds to. If anything, it was let’s learn from last year and figure out how we can be better and improve and just bring it to them from start to finish. We went in with such a great mentality and such a good headspace. We were ready to compete.”

While PHS improved from last year, winning six of the 11 events in the meet, it wasn’t quite enough as the Tigers fell 90-80.

Although the result stung, Misiewicz had no qualms about the effort she got from her swimmers. more

TITLE CHASE: Princeton High boys’ hockey player Cooper Zullo, right, chases after the puck last Monday as second-seeded PHS faced sixth-seeded Paul VI-Camden Catholic in the Mercer County Tournament semifinals. Senior star forward and captain Zullo tallied three goals in the contest as the Tigers prevailed 7-4 and improved to 13-6-1. PHS will face fourth-seeded Hopewell Valley in the MCT final on February 15 at the Mercer County Skating Center. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Two weeks ago, the Princeton High boys’ hockey team fell behind Paul VI-Camden Catholic 4-0 in the second period before rallying to pull out a dramatic 6-5 victory.

When the foes met last Monday in the Mercer County Tournament semifinals, Cooper Zullo and his PHS teammates were determined to get off to a better start in the rematch.

“I don’t think we played a very good first two periods against them the first time and it showed,” said Tiger senior star forward and captain Zullo.

“That was definitely a point of emphasis. We said coming into this game they are not going to give it to us. We have to work for it, especially against a team like that. They are a team that works hard, they are very well coached. They have come a long way over the four years that I have been here.”

Late in the first period with second-seeded PHS and sixth-seeded Paul VI locked in a scoreless tie, Zullo took matters into his own hands. Looking to clear the puck on a penalty kill, Zullo flipped it from the red line and watched in amazement as it bounced past the Paul VI goalie into the back of the net with 2:00 left in the period.

“I was just trying to get the puck deep,” said a smiling Zullo. “I think this ice has a history of doing its own thing, it has a mind of its own. That was the goal there to put it on net and see what happens. That is my curve ball.”

Zullo’s tally triggered an outburst for the Tigers as T.T. Zhao scored 15 seconds later and Ethan Garlock scored with 40 seconds left in the period and then added a second goal 2:38 into the second period as PHS built a 4-0 lead.  more

STICKING TOGETHER: Princeton Day School girls’ basketball player Mia Hartman, right, listens in as PDS head coach Seraphine Hamilton instructs the squad during a timeout in recent action. Last Saturday, junior star Hartman scored 10 points as the Panthers fell 48-32 to Princeton High in the quarterfinals of the Mercer County Invitational. PDS, now 3-18, is next in action when it competes in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public A South Jersey sectional tournament, where it is seeded 14th and will play at third-seeded Trinity Hall in a first round contest on February 22. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Determined to get the most out of her junior season for the Princeton Day School girls’ basketball team, Mia Hartman has spent a lot of time honing her game.

“I play nine out of the 12 months, I am definitely playing a lot,” said Hartman, who competes for the AUF Lady Hawks on the AAU circuit. “I am definitely working on my craft and having a lot of confidence in myself. Last year, it was hard figuring out my role but this year I definitely figured it out.”

That work has paid off as Hartman has solidified her role as the squad’s top scorer, tallying more than twice as many points as anyone else on PDS.

“I feel my team gives me the momentum to score, they pass it to me,” said Hartman. “I am close to reaching 500 points. It is definitely a huge part of my role and I feel like it gets us going. My progress has been really good this year. Playing AAU over the summer and my training and a lot of gym work that I put in this summer has definitely helped me around the basket.”

Last Wednesday, Hartman displayed her skills around the hoop, scoring eight points in the first half as the Panthers trailed WW/P-South 19-12 at halftime.

“When we start to score, the bench starts to get into it and we start to get into it,” said Hartman, reflecting on a second quarter which saw PDS outscore the Pirates 8-6. “It definitely helps the momentum. If we started that from the beginning, I think it would have been a different game.”

The Panthers rallied to draw within 28-21 early in the fourth quarter but could get no closer as they fell 34-23. more

DRIVE TIME: Princeton Day School boys’ basketball player Mason McQueen drives to the hoop in recent action. Last Wednesday, senior guard McQueen scored a team-high 10 points as a short-handed PDS squad fell 59-30 to Hillsborough. The Panthers, who lost 71-60 to Doane Academy in the Prep B state semis on Friday and then lost 59-27 to Trenton Central in the Mercer County Tournament quarterfinals a day later to move to 8-14, are next in action when they compete in New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Non-Public B South Jersey sectional where they are seeded 11th and will play at sixth-seeded Gloucester Catholic in a first round contest on February 22. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Mason McQueen knew he was going to draw a lot of attention as the Princeton Day School boys’ basketball team hosted Hillsborough last Wednesday.

With backcourt stars and leading scorers Jaden Hall and Jaden Dublin sidelined by injury for the contest, senior guard McQueen took control of the PDS offense.

“It was different because they are two big parts of our offense and without them, they are able to focus on me and Bram [Silva] more,” said McQueen. “They are able to put the focal points on us.”

Missing Hall and Dublin, the Panthers struggled as they fell behind 32-15 by halftime.

McQueen scored five points in the early moments of the third quarter as PDS tried to rally against the Raiders.

“I don’t like losing and the team doesn’t like losing,” said McQueen. “We had to step up.” more

SUPER SAVER: Hun School boys’ hockey goalie Stephen Chen turns away a shot in recent action. Last Wednesday, senior standout Chen made 37 saves to help Hun edge Malvern Prep (Pa.) 2-1 as it improved to 9-12. In addition to starring for the Raiders, Chen recently competed for the China squad in Division II, Group B of the 2023 Ice Hockey U20 World Championship in Iceland. In upcoming action, Hun plays at Princeton Day School on February 16 and then hosts Academie Saint-Louis (Canada) on February 18. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Emotions were running high as the Hun School boys’ hockey team hosted Malvern Prep (Pa.) last Wednesday at the Ice Land Skating Center.

Hun was holding its annual Senior Day ceremony and was hoping to use the occasion to snap a three-game losing streak.

“It was great because it was senior night. We have a huge crew — we have 11 kids between varsity and JV,” said Hun head coach Ian McNally. “It was, ‘wait a minute, we are on a little skid here, let’s fix it today.’”

Hun went on to fix things, pulling out a hard-earned 2-1 victory as it improved to 9-12.

“It was timely, they played really well,” said McNally, who got goals from Brendan Marino and Charles Guida in the victory with senior goalie Stephen Chen making 37 saves.

Star goalie Chen, who recently starred for the China squad in Division II, Group B of the 2023 Ice Hockey U20 World Championship in Iceland, has been a key performer this winter for the Raiders.

“He has been playing great; he is strong and he is one of the more influential players that we will have on any game that we play this year,” said McNally of Chen. “When he is on, we are pretty darn good.”

The Raiders boast two other influential seniors in high-scoring forward Elian Estulin and standout defenseman Mark Gall.

“If Elian doesn’t have a point every game, I would be surprised,” said McNally of Estulin, who has tallied 32 points this season on 16 goals and 16 assists. “He is a catalyst for our offense for sure. We promoted Mark to defense this season. I think he has scored more goals (7 goals, 6 assists) playing defense than he did at forward.”

The trio of Chen, Estulin, and Gall has provided leadership as well as production. more

KILLER B: Princeton High boys’ hockey player Brendan Beatty looks for the puck in a game earlier this season. Last Wednesday, sophomore forward Beatty scored two goals to help PHS rally from a 4-0 deficit to edge Paul VI 6-5. The Tigers, who defeated Central Bucks South (Pa.) 7-5 last Friday to improve to 11-6-1, start play in the Mercer County Tournament this week. The Tigers are seeded sixth in the MCT and will face seventh-seeded WWP Hockey Co-op in a quarterfinal contest on February 8 at the Mercer County Skating Center. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though the Princeton High boys’ hockey team trailed Paul VI 4-0 late in the second period last Wednesday, Brendan Beatty and his PHS teammates weren’t fazed.

“We just had to play as one team,” said Tiger sophomore forward Beatty. “We just had to stay positive, nobody had their heads down.”

Beatty produced a positive moment for PHS, scoring a goal with 1:38 left in the second period to get the Tigers on the board.

“I just saw the shot and took the shot and TT Zhao was in front of the net screening the goalie,” said Beatty. “I just took the shot and the goalie didn’t see the puck.”

In the third period, the Tigers buried shots, putting together a furious rally which saw them outscore the Eagles 5-1 over the last 10 minutes of the contest.

“Gabe’s goal to make it 4-2, we got a little energy on the bench,” said Beatty referring to a tally by senior Gabe Silverstein which started the outburst. “We stated making some hits and we started making some plays. That is how we bounced back. We were passing the puck. We did not move the puck in the first and second period.” more

RILED UP: Princeton High girls’ basketball player Riley Devlin looks to pass the ball in recent action. Last Saturday, junior guard Devlin scored 14 points to help PHS defeat Spotswood 54-26 and improve to 10-9. The Tigers host Medford Tech on February 8 before starting play in the Mercer County Tournament. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Coming off a tough 36-28 defeat to Trenton Central last Friday, the Princeton High girls’ basketball team was determined to get back on the winning track when it hosted Spotswood a day later.

“We lost yesterday, it was tight,” said PHS junior guard Riley Devlin. “We really knew that this game was important.”

The Tigers had additional motivation when they hit the court as the program was holding its annual Senior Day celebration with the star guard Rachel Luo as the sole honoree for the varsity.

“We were so excited, all we wanted to do was to make sure that it was memorable for Rachel,” added Devlin. “We knew we had to play really tough for Rachel.”

The Tigers played tough from the opening tip-off, jumping out to a 28-12 halftime lead.

“We worked really hard,” said Devlin. “I think we played as a team and we shared the ball.” more

LOW RIDER: Princeton Day School boys’ hockey player Brady Logue, right, goes after the puck in a game earlier this season. Last Thursday, freshman standout Logue scored a goal in a losing cause as PDS fell 8-2 at Lawrenceville. The Panthers, who lost 4-1 to Delbarton last Monday to move to 6-8-3, will be starting action in the Gordon Conference tournament on February 9. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It was a new venue but the same excitement as the Princeton Day School boys’ hockey team faced local rival Lawrenceville School last Thursday evening.

Playing in Lawrenceville’s gleaming new rink, the stands were packed with some fans overflowing to the balcony and others lining the glass. Both student sections were in full voice, chanting at each other.

Fueled by the electric atmosphere, the foes produced a rollicking first period, filled with end-to-end rushes, bone-crunching hits, scraps, penalties, and goals.

“It is tremendous, this is why so many people come out to this game,” said PDS head coach Scott Bertoli. “It is an event for both schools, for both communities. The kids get excited to play in the this game. You don’t get this in any other hockey environment at the high school level, you are not replicating that at the club level. For our kids to have that experience, it is so important.”

Lawrenceville jumped out to a 2-0 lead but PDS answered back with a goal by freshman standout Brady Logue. After the Big Red added another goal to go up 3-1, the Panthers responded with a tally by senior star Rosh Nissangaratchie. Lawrenceville tacked on two goals in the last 3:42 of the period to extend its advantage to 5-2. more

TURNING A CORNER: Hun School boys’ basketball player Anthony Loscalzo dribbles past a foe in recent action. Last Saturday, junior guard Loscalzo scored 21 points to help Hun defeat Solebury School (Pa.) 71-48. The Raiders, who improved to 12-9 with the win, will play the Peddie School on February 10 in the opening round of the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) tournament at Mercersburg Academy (Pa.). (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

After starting last week by sinking to a low point with a discouraging loss to rival Lawrenceville, the Hun School boys’ basketball team found itself at a crossroads.

Hun head coach Jon Stone was hoping that the 85-65 defeat to Lawrenceville on January 31 would be a wake-up call as Hun finished the week by playing at Academy of New Church (Pa.) last Thursday and Solebury School (Pa.) two days later.

Bouncing back, the Raiders rallied to edge ANC 61-60 and then cruised to a 71-48 triumph over Solebury as they improved to 12-9.

“We had a really gritty, gutty win against ANC,” said Stone. “We trailed the whole game and we were down 15 twice, so for us to come back and win that game on the road was a really good sign.” more

MAKING A STATEMENT: Stuart Country Day School basketball player Taylor States heads to the hoops in recent action. Last Saturday, freshman star States scored 18 points in a losing cause as seventh-seeded Stuart fell 61-34 to second-seeded Pennington in the Prep B state quarterfinals. The Tartans, now 3-5, host Peddie on February 8 and Solebury School (Pa.) on February 10 before starting play in the Mercer County Tournament. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

While the Stuart Country Day School basketball team’s 61-34 loss to Pennington in the Prep B state quarterfinals last Saturday was disappointing on one level, the performance actually represented progress for the Tartans.

Having been routed 71-26 by Pennington its season opener on December 5, Stuart displayed reliance and grit in the postseason rematch.

“The light is really shining right now,” said Stuart head coach Tony Bowman, whose team moved to 3-5 with the defeat. “The loss to Pennington was a loss only in the record because it was a win for leadership, for mobility, for our effort, and for our conversation and just being together as a team. It was big for us.”

Seventh-seeded Stuart battled to the final whistle against second-seeded Pennington, getting outscored just 29-27 in the second half.

“We really did well in the third and fourth quarter, it was much closer,” said Bowman. “The girls said, ‘We want more.’ In the beginning of the season, we were kind of distraught. We weren’t wanting to play more games against talented teams. Now they are wanting to play anybody. They want to get on the floor and test their wits. I appreciate that.” more

DAN THE MAN: Princeton High boys’ swimmer Daniel Baytin flies through the breaststroke leg of the 200-meter medley last Saturday at the Mercer County Swimming Championships. Senior star Baytin placed first in both the 50-meter freestyle and the 100 breaststroke races to help PHS earn its second straight team title at the competition. Baytin, who was named the boys’ Most Valuable Swimmer, set a meet record in the breaststroke with his time of 1:03.84 in the preliminary round. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Carly Misiewicz sensed that her Princeton High boys’ swimming team was primed for a big performance at the Mercer County Swimming Championships when it met on Friday before the preliminary round of the competition.

“They were really fired up and focused for the prelims; we had our team lunch and our meeting beforehand and I feel like the energy was exactly where it needed to be,” said PHS head coach Misiewicz, whose boys’ squad was going for its second straight county title. “I see that as a fine line of cocky and confidence. Going off the regular season record (12-0), there are a lot of expectations and a lot of hopes but you never know. Anything could happen at the county meet. It is a very different situation.”

After a superb performance in the prelims Friday evening, the Tigers wasted no time dominating on Saturday at the WW/P-North pool, winning three of the first four events.

PHS went on to roll to its second straight county crown, scoring 312 points to take first with Notre Dame scoring 171 in taking second.

Saving his best for last, senior standout Daniel Baytin was named the boys’ Most Valuable Swimmer at the meet, placing first in both the 50-meter freestyle and 100 breaststroke. He set a meet record in the breaststroke with his time of 1:03.84 in the preliminary round.

“I was just really excited for Dan, it is something he really worked for; I think he felt a little disappointed that he didn’t get it last year,” said Misiewicz, referring to the MVS honor. “He annihilated the old county record in the breaststroke by almost two seconds in prelims. His time in finals (1:05.28) would have actually broken the record as well. He also had a great 50 free.” more

SENIOR MOMENT: Princeton High girls’ swimmer Annie Zhao heads to a first-place finish in the 100-meter breaststroke at the Mercer County Swimming Championships last Saturday at WW/P-North. Senior Zhao, who also took second in the 100 freestyle, helped PHS win its second straight team title at the competition. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It would have been easy for the Princeton High girls’ swimming team to have gotten a little flustered as they dealt with some chaos in the preliminary round of the Mercer County Swimming Championships last Thursday evening.

With the computer at the WW/P-North pool crashing, the competition got started an hour and a half late and didn’t end until 11 p.m.

Yet the PHS swimmers stayed locked in as they started their pursuit of a second straight county crown.

“It was tough; you warm up, you get changed, you get ready, you are mentally ready to get started and then they had no idea when they were going to start,” said PHS head coach Carly Misiewicz. “Seeing how quickly we were able to turn around and get our focus and start up with a bang in the 200 medley relay speaks volumes to what the girls are capable of. I was so impressed with what happened on Thursday.”

In the finals on Saturday, PHS started with a bang, taking first in the 200 medley relay, edging runner-up Robbinsville by 0.58 seconds.

“We knew we were going to be pushed by Robbinsville, they have a very talented group of girls as well,” said Misiewicz.  “It was going to be a great race. We were going to push them, they were going to push us. That is what it is all about, being able to have that competitiveness and ultimately to be the ones that come out on top.” more