FLYING START: Princeton High girls’ swimmer Lauren Girouard displays her butterfly form in a race last season. Senior star Girouard and her teammates are looking for an encore performance this winter after going 14-0 in 2022-23 on the way to winning the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group B state title. PHS started this season by topping Hamilton West 114-40 last Thursday. The Tigers will look to keep on the winning track as they swim at Robbinsville on December 14 and then host WW/P-North on December 19. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

With the Princeton High girls’ swimming team coming off an undefeated season in 2022-23 that saw it win the program’s first state title since 1983, the squad isn’t shying away from talk of an encore performance this winter.

“You always feel that there is this target on your back, before it was within the county and now I feel like it is more statewide,” said PHS head coach Carly Misiewicz, whose team went 14-0 on the way to winning the Mercer County championship meet and New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group B state title. “I feel like we thrive in those situations. They have said multiple times that they want nothing more than to repeat this year. They got a taste of it last year but they are ready for some more again.”

In Misiewicz’s view, the pieces are in place for the Tigers to be dominant again this winter.

“This morning at practice we were playing around with what we thought was our quote, unquote best lineup,” said Misiewicz, whose team started the 2023-24 season by defeating Hamilton West 114-40 last Thursday. “It is all situational because it depends on who you are matched up against. The amount of flexibility that we have is insane in the best way possible.”

Individual winners for PHS in the victory over Hamilton included Annie Flanagan in the 200-yard freestyle and 100 backstroke, Lauren Girouard in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly, Suri Skomra in the 50 free, Nora Chen in the 100 free, Kyleigh Tangen in the 500 free, and Nia Zagar in the 100 breaststroke.

The team’s flexibility starts with a stellar senior class that features Courtney Weber and Jesse Wang along with Girouard, Chen, and Tangen.

“They are some really, really strong very talented competitive athletes,” said Misiewicz of her senior crew.

Juniors Sabine Ristad and Rachel McInerney along with sophomores, Flanagan and Zagar, provide additional talent for the Tigers.

“It is kind of the same with a lot of them, they do so many different events,” said Misiewicz, noting that junior newcomers Angelica and Viviana Cristofanelli should add depth in sprint and butterfly events. “Annie was a top dog as a freshman, she really had a year last year, she is another one who is extremely versatile. Granted she swam the 200 and 100 free for us the majority of the time last year, especially towards the end in the big meets but her backstroke is good and her IM is good. Nia was IM and breaststroke. She was right up there for us in a lot of different situations.”

Freshman Hannah Ploss figures to give PHS another good option.

“One freshman who is standing out for me is Hannah, another breaststroker,” said Misiewicz. “She swims for Lifetime. She definitely has the potential for it, she will definitely help out depth-wise.”

While the Tigers have their sights set on a title repeat, they are not getting ahead of themselves.

“It is taking it meet by meet and week by week,” said Misiewicz, whose team swims at Robbinsville on December 14 and then host WW/P-North on December 19. “They have that end goal in mind, but understand also that they we have to accomplish X,Y,Z before we can even get to that point. I love that the end goal is there and I want it to be there. I think it is very realistic, very achievable, and it is very possible. Especially with the way that counties and any postseason brings something different out of them than the regular season. They rise to the occasion.”

The confidence the Tigers gained from last year’s success should help them rise to the occasion when it counts the most this season.

“I think that was our goal and our message last year — we are capable, we can do this, it was our time,” said Misiewicz. “I think just because we had that mindset at the beginning of the season that is just what made it all the more amazing at the end. Because we accomplished it last year, it makes them even more hungry to do it again this year.”