Girls swimming: Lourdes delighted as close-knit team completes stellar regular season
KINGSTON - For an instant, teammates resembled aircraft marshallers, waving their arms in earnest to direct Alaina Kozak during her final laps. It mattered little that she probably couldn't have seen their gesturing, or that the only direction she could've gone was forward. This was unbridled excitement.
The group was so enlivened as Kozak began her 20th lap, they hurried toward the starting blocks ― braving the slippery pool deck ― to greet her at the finish. The sophomore emerged from the water to a loud chorus of cheers and kudos. Sounds like team spirit.
This, teammate Rosy Horgan said, was a rush of "serotonin."
"She's one of the younger girls here and we've watched her grow," said Horgan, a senior on the Our Lady of Lourdes girls swimming team. "Knowing how hard she's worked to make progress, you're incredibly happy to see her reach one of her goals."
Kozak had just won the 500-yard freestyle in 5:53.44, shaving about 13 seconds off her personal best and qualifying for the Section 9 tournament.
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She is among seven Lourdes standouts who already have secured sectional berths and this was, obviously, an individual achievement. As well, two teammates finished behind her in the event.
"But we don't compete with each other," senior Julia Napoli said. "Nobody is upset that somebody else won. We're genuinely supportive of each other and celebrate everyone's success."
Most teams will say that, of course, insisting there is no selfishness even in individualized team sports. But the Warriors' reactions to those victories Tuesday, generating a steady buzz inside Kingston High School, was evidence of that camaraderie.
Their togetherness, the swimmers said, has contributed to the growth of the team and made Lourdes' ascent even more enjoyable. As the team is without a true home pool and travels to each of its meets, the emphatic and extra-audible support boosts morale. "Gotta put a little spirit in it!" Horgan joked.
Their reputation for maintaining a "fun" atmosphere, one created by the frequent laughter at inside jokes and even those playful poolside photo shoots, also has helped attract prospective swimmers, said Tom Bubel, who coaches the team alongside his wife Jill.
Roster expansion is no small feat in recent years, considering several local programs have endured a participation decline since the pandemic.
"I went on a college visit (recently)," said Napoli, who aspires to compete at the next level. "One of the things I'm looking for is a team that has a similar closeness to this one."
The Warriors totaled 100 points Tuesday, dominating a four-team meet that included Kingston, Rondout Valley and Onteora, to close the regular season with a 9-1 record.
"It's an awesome feeling," Horgan said of Lourdes being among the better teams in a competitive section. "We've always had the team unity, but getting to win regularly definitely adds to the experience. We've worked a lot to get where we are, and I'm really proud of that."
Napoli has flourished this season, meeting section tournament cuts in each individual event. Horgan also has shined, having qualified for each event except the 100 backstroke. "I'm working on it," she said with a grin.
That duo leads a deep and talented core that includes Kozak, Katie Skerritt, Magdalena Regenauer, Jade Cepeda and Skylar Mack, each of whom will compete for section titles.
Skerritt has qualified for the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles, 100 butterfly and the 200 individual medley. Kozak clinched spots for the 500 free and 200 IM; Regenauer the 50 free, Mack the 100 backstroke and Cepeda the 100 breaststroke. Most of those qualifying times were earned in September, which suggests there is potential for improvement in the coming weeks. That, Napoli said, "makes me so confident in my team."
"I'm very proud of them," said Tom Bubel, whose team is a combined 21-7 over the last three seasons. "The seniors now were strong as freshmen, and they've gotten much better. We also had an influx of talented freshmen last year, so we've got a great group of sophomores now."
The Warriors will ramp up practice this week before tapering in preparation for the OCIAA Division championships on Oct. 21 at Washingtonville High School. Lourdes will be among the favorites there, alongside New Paltz, the squad that dealt it its only loss last week. That will serve as a lead-in to the Section 9 tournament that begins Nov. 2.
"It's great to get the sectional cuts early on, but it doesn't mean you can relax," said Horgan, whose older brother Edward once starred for Lourdes boys swimming team. "You're constantly looking ahead to what's next and updating your goals like, 'So now I want the state cuts.' The work doesn't stop."
Because a dangling carrot for them — one that likely is within reach ― is having at least one swimmer advance to the state championships, which the program hasn't had since Clare Bosse in 2018. A few competitors, including Napoli, have more than once come within a second of qualifying.
High school rules dictate that a swimmer can participate in no more than four events. So, Horgan said, she likely will swim in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke, along with the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays. Napoli is leaning toward doing 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke, and two relays.
Those two, and Skerritt, have posted season-best times suggesting they'll be among the top performers in the sectional meet and could vie for state berths.
"That's a hurdle we want to get over badly," Napoli said. "If we could finish a season like this by getting to states, it would mean everything to us."
A roaring finish
Kozak's 500 freestyle victory, in which she touched 31 seconds ahead of second place, was the highlight of a sterling evening for Lourdes. The Warriors won eight races to finish ahead of Kingston, which totaled 70 points.
The sophomore also took second in the 200-yard freestyle and teamed with Napoli, Regenauer and Skerritt to win the 400 freestyle relay in 4:00.68.
Napoli was first in the 100-yard butterfly (1:02.68) and 200 IM (2:25.26). Horgan won the 200 free (2:12.15), 100 breaststroke (1:14.29) and was part of the quartet with Cepeda, Kozak and Anya Fridman that won the 200 freestyle relay (1:55.50). Skerritt placed first in the 50 free (26.41) and second in the 100 free (58.29).
Kingston's Rory Treloar won the 100 free in a Section 9-qualifying time of 57.43 seconds. She also took second in the 50 free (26.59), which also was a sectional cut. Teammate Sofia Grande scored 173.4 to win the 1-meter dive.
Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Girls swimming: Lourdes rising as seven qualify for Section 9 tourney
