MAKING WAVES: Princeton High girls’ swimmer Madelene Deardorff displays her breaststroke form in a meet last season. Senior star Deardorff has helped PHS get off to a 6-0 start this season. The Little Tigers return from the holiday break and start 2016 action when they host Hamilton on January 5. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

That must be a sickening thought to its foes as PHS has rolled to a 6-0 start with its closest meet being a 98-72 win over Hightstown on December 22.

“Unfortunately we really haven’t had our full girls’ team at 100 percent yet,” said PHS head coach Carly Misiewicz.

“Looking at the girls’ team and what we have been able to do so far, it is really promising.”

The team’s big four of seniors Madeleine Deardorff and Brianna Romaine along with junior Melinda Tang and sophomore Abbey Berloco are enough on their own to make PHS formidable.

In a 105-65 victory over Notre Dame on December 17, Deardorff won the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly, while Romaine prevailed in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke, Tang placed first in the 200 and 500 free, and Berloco posted wins in the 100 free and 100 breaststroke.

“They give me and the entire team so much depth,” asserted Misiewicz, reflecting on the impact of her quartet of stars.

“Abbey will do the 100 breaststroke, she will do the 200 free, she will do the 50, she will do the 100; she will do anything you put her into. She will put her heart and soul into everything she does just as Melinda, Bri, and Maddie do.”

The pair of juniors Jeanne Adam and Jamie Liu could put PHS over the top as it seeks a state crown.

“They are huge, as are Maddie Schwimmer and Jenny Bond,” said Misiewicz, whose team advanced to the state Public B championship meet last winter where it fell to Scotch Plains-Fanwood to suffer its only defeat of the season.

“Jenny Bond in 100 backstroke this year has already been at 1:07; last year at this time, she was at 1:11, 1:12. They are the kids that are at high school every day working their butts off, constantly asking what can I do, how can I do better, how can I fix my start, my turn.”

Misiewicz acknowledges that her team has its sights squarely set on the postseason.

“Our main focus, as it has been from the beginning of the year, is that we are gearing for counties, we are gearing for the playoffs,” said Misiewicz.

“We really want to power point as high as physically possible, as high as we are capable of doing to help with seeding.”

In line with that focus, the Little Tigers plan to stay in high gear over the holidays.

“The key, and I know this from 11 years of club swimming, is that Christmas break training is what can truly define a swimmer,” said Misiewicz, whose team starts 2016 action when it hosts Hamilton on January 5.

“Christmas break is a time where you have nothing else going on and nothing else to really worry about. We can spend two-and-a-half to three hours a day in the pool working on different techniques and say OK, let’s focus on our sprinting today, let’s focus on your 500 or your 200.”