By Bill Alden

Dan Barberis and Jeshurun Reyen have formed a potent one-two punch in the sprinting events this winter for the Princeton High boys’ swimming team.

Last Saturday at the Mercer County Championships held in the WW/P-North pool, the pair worked side by side, literally, to help PHS take fifth in the team standings at the competition won by Notre Dame.

Senior Barberis swam in lane five in the 50-meter freestyle and took fourth while sophomore Reyen was in lane six and came in sixth. In the 100 free, Barberis placed fifth swimming out of lane two while Reyen came in sixth as he competed in lane one.

“They were going head-to-head, which really helped the competition between the two of them,” said PHS head coach Carly Misiewicz. “They really push each other a lot and they were next to each other in both the 50 and 100.”

Misiewicz liked the way her other swimmers competed as Charlie Yandrisevits took 10th in the 200 free and ninth in the 400 free while Oliver Tennant placed ninth in the 200 free and the 100 free with Karl Lackner coming in sixth in the 100 backstroke.

“I thought the boys swam really, really well,” said Misiewicz. “After taking the last two years off to focus on club, Charlie said let me come back and be part of the high school team again this year. He has been phenomenal. He is such a huge help, exactly what we needed. Lackner made the final in the 100 back. Oliver did well in the 200 free.”

With the boys’ squad having posted an 8-3 record in dual meet competition this season, Misiewicz is hoping that it can build on the good effort at the counties as it heads into the state tournament.

“We are in a different section this year,” said Misiewicz. “The true competitors that we will see in our section are WW/P-North and WW/P-South because we moved to Central B this year instead of North 2, so fingers crossed.”