caption: FAB FOUR: Nassau Swim Club swimmers, from left, Flori Marquez, Haley Carstensen, Annie Gardner, and Katie Hector enjoy the moment after competing at last week’s Princeton-Area Swimming and Diving Association (PASDA) championship meet. Nassau finished fourth in the Division 1 team standings at the meet.

Nagle Rekindles Fond Childhood Memories, Leading Nassau Swim Club to Spirited Season

Bill Alden

As a kid growing up in the 1980s, Beth Nagle essentially spent her summers at the Nassau Swim Club.

“When I was a kid my dad would drop me off at Nassau at 9 in the morning for practice and I would stay there until 4,” said Nagle.

“It’s a community; there is a lot of bonding. Some of the girls I swam with at Nassau were at my wedding.”

This summer, Nagle, now 31, found her way back to her old summer stomping grounds as the head coach of the club’s Lemmings swim team.

Encouragingly, Nagle found the same nurturing environment around the club that she remembered from her formative years.

“The spirit is great; I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere else,” asserted Nagle.

“Every meet, you would think it’s coming down to the last race the way the kids were cheering.”

The team had a lot to cheer about last week as it took fourth in the Division 1 team standings at the Princeton-Area Swimming and Diving Association (PASDA) championship meet held at the Flemington-Raritan Community Pool.

“I think we did a fantastic job; some of our swimmers weren’t able to attend,” said Nagle. “We had about 35 swimmers there; the two other teams we beat at the meet had beaten us in dual meets earlier in the season.”

Two of the Nassau top swimmers at the meet were the Monaghan sisters, Isabelle and Sophia.

Isabelle took second in the 25-meter backstroke in the 6-and-under girls and helped the 8-and-under girls’ 100 freestyle relay team to a seventh place finish.

Sophia, meanwhile, won the girls’ 12-and-under 50 free in a meet-record time of 31:18 and took third in the 50 butterfly. She also helped Nassau take second in both the 200 medley and 200 free relays.

Nagle was not surprised by the Monaghan sisters’ exploits at the meet.

“Isabelle has won most of her races in dual meets,” added Nagle. “Sophia did great, setting that record. She also did well through the dual meets.”

Nassau also got some fine work from its corps of 18-and-under girls, who placed second in their age group standings.

“We had enough kids to fill two relays, that really helps in championship meets,” said Nagle, whose 18-and-under girls included Annie Gardner, Katie Hector, Haley Carstensen, and Domencia Olivier.

“Katie Hector, who used to swim for us years ago, came back and was a big help. Haley Carstensen, a recent Lawrenceville School grad, did well in her last season. She was also an assistant coach and she interacted so well with the younger kids.”

Although Nassau didn’t have a lot of boys on hand at the PASDA meet, the team got some quality efforts from its male competitors.

“We had a low number of boys and we still scored a lot of points,” added Nagle.

“Miles Radcliffe-Trenner came in first in one of his races (the 18-and-under 50 fly). Ben Segal did an all-around good job. Jake Caddeau did really well in the 10-and-under breast. I was really amazed; he’s not a year-round swimmer and he had a lot of great swims.”

Nassau also received some good swims from its youngest team members. “We have some really good 6-and-under swimmers,” said Nagle, whose young standouts included Samantha Campisi, Ella Caddeau, Alex Park, and Winn Anhut, in addition to Isabelle Monaghan. “It was a real solid group; it could be a foundation for us in the future.”

For Nagle, helping the Lemmings build for the future is a way of giving back to a program that has meant so much to her.

“I had a ball,” asserted Nagle. “It brought back some fantastic memories for me. It’s so special in the friendships and relationships you develop. Jane Urciuoli, one of our 8-and-under swimmers, is the daughter of a woman I swam with at Nassau.”

It was also special for Nagle to have the assistance of longtime Nassau head coach Bruce Nystrom as she took the helm of the program.

“Bruce was there for most of our dual meets,” said Nagle. “The parents were all appreciative that he was there.”

Nagle applied the lessons she gained from swimming for Nystrom.

“I think I learned a laid- back attitude from him,” said Nagle. “PASDA is not the Olympics; the focus is on stroke mechanics and having fun.”

Nagle certainly had plenty of fun this summer as she guided the Lemmings.

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