(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) GUT CHECK: Princeton High boys’ swimming star Alex Zantal displays his freestyle form in a recent workout. Last week, Zantal fought through an infection to take second in the 100 freestyle and help the 400 free relay team to a win as PHS fell 94-76 to WW/P-S. In upcoming action, the Little Tigers will compete in the Mercer County Championships from February 5-7 at Lawrence High.

Using Loss to Powerful WW/P-S as Rehearsal, PHS Boys’ Swimmers Primed for Counties, States

Bill Alden

It was his last regular season meet for the Princeton High boys’ swimming team and senior co-captain Alex Zantal wasn’t going to let his teammates down.

Despite battling illness, Zantal came through for PHS as it battled WW/P-S last week, taking second in the 100 freestyle and helping the 400 free relay team to a win.

While PHS ultimately lost the meet 94-76, PHS head coach Greg Hand was proud of the grit shown by Zantal.

“I want to pay tribute to Alex Zantal; he is recovering from an infection that he is taking medication for,” said Hand, whose program held a ceremony honoring its seniors on the deck after the meet.

“I am congratulating him for going through a pretty hard slog today. He really showed for the team today; that was terrific. He wasn’t at his fastest but he was all there for us today.”

Zantal’s courageous effort exemplified the intensity displayed by the Little Tigers as they pushed the powerful Pirates.

“We were figuring that the South meet would be fairly close; right about where it came out,” said Hand, whose boys’ squad ended the regular season with a 9-4 record.

“In that kind of a meet each side realizes that they have to do what they can to try to get a result. It is not one of those meets where it happens automatically. I think it was a real high-energy environment, not just the teams but the fans were excited.”

Senior star Sean MacKenzie produced some excitement of his own as he established a program record on the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:56.77 and later produced a blazing anchor leg in the 400 free relay.

Hand is certainly happy to have MacKenzie back on the team as the Columbia-bound star had not competed for PHS as a junior and early this season to focus on club swimming.

“Sean had a magnificent IM to break one of Roger Grayson-Barrett’s records,” said Hand,

“Having him back makes the kind of difference of a person who changes two relays and then gives you two quality individual swims. Those are always special swimmers on a team.”

PHS has another special swimmer in sophomore Peter Deardorff, who won the 200 and 500 free races in the WW/P-S meet.

“Peter had a terrific meet today,” said Hand, who also praised the contributions of freshmen Addison Hebert, Victor Honore, and Harun Filopovic. “He had to go all out in the 200 and then came back with a solid 500.”

With PHS competing in the Mercer County Championships next week from February 5-7 before heading into the Public B state tournament, Hand is hoping the experience of the WW/P-S meet will make his team more solid in postseason competition.

“This is rehearsal; there are teams in Central B who are better on paper than we are so the idea of rehearsing is pretty important,” said Hand.

“How do we want to look, how do we want to feel when there is something on the line. Hopefully in terms of being loose and focused at the same time, this meet helps to set that tone. Without this kind of rehearsal, we may be a little too tight to swim our best.”

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