By Bill Alden

Coming into the winter, the Princeton High boys’ swimming team seemed to be in rebuilding mode.

“People didn’t look to us in the beginning and expect much from us, looking at who we lost over the past couple of years,” said PHS head coach Carly Misiewicz. “It was ‘Princeton is not going to be much this year.’”

The Little Tigers turned out to be much better than expected, posting a 8-4 record in dual meets and placing fifth at the Mercer County Championships.

“I think we really surprised people,” asserted Misiewicz. “We had a lot of people in the top six in events at counties and we got second at one of the relays in counties.”

In the state tournament, PHS battled valiantly as the second-seeded Little Tigers fell 96-74 to third-seeded Manasquan in the Central Jersey Public B sectional semifinals.

“We had a lot of really, really good swims that day,” said Misiewicz. “We really didn’t give up, they were definitely the better team that day. We swam the best that we could on that day. Unfortunately there is always a winner and there is always a loser. You hate to be the loser but we really swam well.”

Seniors Dan Barberis, Milos Seskar, Justin Keve, Karl Lackner, and Charlie Yandrisevits competed really well all winter in their final campaign with the program.

“Dan was our main senior; Milos came back this year and having him helped out in the breaststroke races and some of the sprint races,” said Misiewicz.

“Karl was a club swimmer in his freshman year, and then he came back and became a full-time high school swimmer. Having him here on the backstroke and the individual medley was huge. Karl was happy to swim anything. Charlie was definitely key and it was really, really great to have him back this year.”

Going forward, sophomore Jeshurun Reyen figures to be a key performer for the Little Tigers next season.

“I could really tell that Jeshurun was maturing this year and coming more into his own,” said Misiewicz.

“He is one of the top contributors on the team and he knows that he is really going to have to step up and be a leader on the team as a junior.”

PHS will also welcome back a number of big contributors in Oliver Tennant, Owen Tennant, Logan Eastman, John Liang, Fredrick Otte, and Will Murray.

“The two Tennants are phenomenal swimmers; they are both very versatile, you can put them in the individual medley, the butterfly, the 100 freestyle, the 500 free, almost anything,” said Misiewicz of the Tennant brothers.

“Logan really surprised us in some of the sprints and the breaststroke. John went under a minute in the 100 fly this season. He dropped club swimming this year and is just doing full-time high school. Will made it to the top six in the counties in the fly and the IM. He is another all-star swimmer, very versatile with really good energy to have on the pool deck.”