caption: GOLD STANDARD: Simon L’Heveder, age 6, displays the four gold medals he won for the Nassau Swim Club at the Princeton Area Swimming and Diving Association (PASDA) championship meet last week. L’Heveder was named the Most Valuable Swimmer in the Division 2 six-and-under boys category. He won the boys’ six-and under 25-meter freestyle and 25 backstroke and helped Nassau to wins in the eight-and-under 100 medley relay and 100 free relay.

Nassau Swim Club Shows Spirit and Talent in Winning PASDA Division 2 Team Title

Bill Alden

Daniela Momo felt some jitters as she took the blocks for the Nassau Swim Club last week in the Division 2 Under-18 girls’ 100-meter individual medley final at the Princeton Area Swimming and Diving Association (PASDA) championship meet.

“I was a little scared; I am only 15 and some of the others were 17 or 18,” said Momo.

The rising Princeton High sophomore overcame her nerves and cruised to a solid win, clocking a time of 1:20.09, some 2.47 seconds better than runner-up Rachel McCabe of the Hopewell Valley Tennis and Swim Club.

For Momo, the victory was the product of focus she has developed swimming year-round for the Princeton Piranhas club.

“We do much harder races than the 100 IM with the Piranhas and in the practices we do a lot more,” said Momo, who has been doing double sessions this summer with the Piranhas in addition to working and swimming at Nassau. “I thought of that and blocked out the other swimmers.”

Momo’s swim exemplified the gritty effort the Nassau Lemmings produced at the PASDA meet as they easily won the Division 2 team title to culminate a season that saw them go undefeated in dual meets.

In Momo’s view, the win in the PASDA meet was a fitting way to conclude the summer.

“We did really well, we got first place and the kids worked hard all summer,” asserted Momo, who placed second in the 50 backstroke and also helped Nassau win the 200 IM and 200 freestyle relays.

Nassau head coach Beth Nagle appreciated the work she got from her swimmers at the PASDA meet.

“I was very impressed and excited by how we did,” said Nagle. “We had a ton of little kids and that helped us. I was worried about the second day with the older kids because we didn’t have as many. Some of the kids were at a big water polo event and others were on vacation. The older kids we had on hand did well.”

One of Nassau’s key older kids was Momo. “Daniela was swimming against some Princeton teammates from other clubs; I know she was nervous,” said Nagle.

“She ended up doing well. She is working with us this summer and she has bonded with the little kids. She feels more a part of the team.”

Another important part of the team has been Sophia Monaghan, who won the girls’ 14 and under 100 IM, 50 freestyle, and the 50 in addition to helping Nassau to victory in the 200 medley relay.

“Sophia moved up to the 14 and unders this summer and it was no problem,” asserted Nagle, who also got good work from other teen girls Annie Gardner, Susanna Tuan, and the Lauer twins, Jennifer and Stephanie.

“She excels at whatever she does. She is very quiet; she just goes in and gets the job done.”

Harun Filipovic got the job done for Nassau in boys’ 18 and under age group, winning the 100 back and taking second in both the 100 IM and 50 butterfly.

“He’s a year-round swimmer and he did well for us,” added Nagle. “I remember when I was a life guard and he was an 8-and-under and we used to make fun of him because his hair was bleached blonde and it stands up because he is in the pool so much.”

Simon L’Heveder appears to be following in Filipovic’s footsteps as he made quite a splash in the six-and-under age group.

“Simon has been swimming with us since he has been four,” said Nagle of L’Heveder who won six-and-under the 25 free and 25 back and helped Nassau to wins in the eight-and-under 100 medley relay and 100 free relay.

“He’s a very spirited little guy. He enjoys competition and enjoys the fun of swimming even more.”

Nassau got spirited efforts from several of its younger boys including Winn Anhut, Ben Amon, Alex Park, Guy Marlow, and Lincoln Roth.

Among the younger girls, Bridget DiBlasio emerged as a standout. “Bridget got two first places, it is her first year with us and her family has really fit in,” added Nagle, whose contingent of younger girl standouts also included Bridget Lawn, Becca Adlai-Gail, Alexandra Hopkins, Hope Anhut, Alexandra Marlow, Isabelle Monaghan, and the Campisi twins, Emma and Natalie together with their younger sister Samantha. “We went 1-2-3 in one of the relays so we had depth in that age group.”

In the U-12 girls’ category, Nassau was paced by the trio of Carla Tuan, Carrie Bonfield, and Hannah Ash.

“They are just awesome,” said Nagle of Tuan, Bonfield, and Ash who went 1-2-3 in the 100 IM and helped Nassau to a victory in the 200 medley along with Jessica Campisi.

“The relay was undefeated all season long. They are all in year-round swimming and they shine for us.”

In Nagle’s view, the team’s success this summer is due in part to a deeper commitment to the sport.

“We have tried to get more kids to do year-round swimming, some swam for the Princeton Y and the Piranhas,” said Nagle. “PASDA is such a short season, they need to swim year round to see more improvement.”

Nassau is also buoyed by its special spirit. “There is a real community feeling; we focus on having fun,” said Nagle.

“We are cheering for ourselves and the other teams. I think there is a love of Nassau. There is a spirit. When practice is over, the kids are still here an hour later playing games and hanging out.”

Momo, for her part, drew strength from the upbeat approach that has long been a hallmark of the Nassau program.

“Everybody’s positive attitude at Nassau was great; it made me really proud of Nassau,” asserted Momo.

“We were going through some storage at the pool and we found some records from like 1971 and it is great to see how far we have come since then. We have spirit; we have cheers that have stayed around for so long.”

And last week at the PASDA meet, Momo and her teammates certainly earned plenty of cheers.

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