ALEXANDRIA TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Delaware Valley Regional High School made history Saturday, fielding its first ever swimming relay team. Alexandria Township residents Aleksa Lapinas, a senior; Kate Brown and Kelly Moran, both juniors; and freshman Sarah Feiner teamed up for the relay at the Skyland Conference Girls Swimming Championships at Montgomery High School.
The Del Val team won its heat in the 200-yard Freestyle Relay with a time of 2:03.04. Lapinas was just happy to compete with some teammates by her side. For the last three years, she had been the sole female swimmer representing Del Val, which does not have a formal swimming program, but whose students are allowed to compete in individual championships such as the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tri-County, Skyland Conference and New Jersey State championships.
"It's just a great feeling to be able to represent your school in the sport you love," said Lapinas, who has consistently been one of the best swimmers at the Skyland meet, medaling in different combinations of the 100-yard breaststroke, 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle in all of her four years at Del Val. "I really wanted to have enough swimmers to form a relay team and it finally came together this year."
Lapinas, Feiner and Moran have all been swimming competitively for several years through various USA-Swimming and YMCA club programs in New Jersey, and currently swim with YMCA programs in Hunterdon and Somerset counties. Feiner and Moran entered Del Val this year - Feiner as a freshman and Moran as a transfer. They soon connected with Lapinas and learned how they could swim for their school.
"Swimming is probably one of the toughest sports you can compete in," said Moran. "Each of us swims several miles at practice four to six days a week and that doesn't even touch the training we do outside the pool to build strength."
Going to a small school like Del Val has its pluses and minuses and sometimes that means not having enough students for all sports.
"I have been swimming competitively since I was seven and I really hope to continue in high school and college," said Feiner. "So I was excited to know that we can swim for Del Val even if there are just a few of us. Hopefully we can get more kids interested."
Brown proved that extensive experience is not a prerequisite, particularly at small schools. A lifeguard at a local pool, she was recruited by the three girls so they would have enough swimmers for a relay team.
"I was terrified, to be completely honest," said Brown, who had never competed as a swimmer until the Skyland meet. "But the girls helped me out and it was a great experience. I felt comfortable enough to also swim in the individual 50-yard freestyle event. Next time, maybe I will try the backstroke because that is my best stroke."
The group is looking for more swimmers. Maybe next year there will even be a few more newcomers. Lapinas has been recruited by Division I and III swim programs and is looking forward to competing at the collegiate level.
For now, these Del Val girls are looking forward to their upcoming Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tri-County Championship meet on January 26th at Kittatinny Regional High School in Newton.