(Photo by Frank Wojciechowski) LEAPS AND BOUNDS: Princeton High boys’ swimming star Peter Deardorff leaps into the pool in recent competition. Last Friday, senior captain Deardorff won the 200 freestyle and took second in the 100 free to help top-seeded PHS defeat No. 3 Ocean 112-58 in the Public B Central Jersey sectional final. It was the third straight sectional title for PHS and the fifth in the last seven years. The Little Tigers, now 15-0, were slated to face Haddonfield in the Public B semis on February 22 with the victor advancing to the state title meet on February 27.

PHS Boys’ Swim Team Displays Formidable Depth, In Sinking Ocean for 3rd Straight Sectional Crown

Bill Alden

Even though the Princeton High boys’ swimming team started the Public B Central Jersey sectional final against Ocean last Friday by losing the 200 medley relay, Peter Deardorff wasn’t fazed.

“We knew we had a lot of depth; we weren’t too worried,” said PHS senior star and captain Deardorff.

“Their medley relay is really strong and we sort of assumed that would be their strongest point in the meet.”

Deardorff showed his strength in the second event of the meet, taking first in the 200 freestyle as he topped freshman teammate Will Stange by more than three seconds.

In assessing his victory, Deardorff said he wasn’t conscious of being pushed by Stange.

“I didn’t pay attention to the other lanes,” said Deardorff, who clocked a time of 1:48.74 in taking first. “I was just trying to swim as fast as I could.”

That 1-2 finish put top-seeded PHS into the lead over No. 3 Ocean and the Little Tigers made fast work of their foes as they cruised to a 112-58 win and improved to 15-0 on the season.

It was the third straight sectional title for PHS and the fifth in the last seven years. The Little Tigers were slated to face Haddonfield in the Public B semis on February 22 with the victor advancing to the state title meet on February 27.

Deardorff, who placed second in the 100 free and helped the 200 free relay to a first-place finish, was surprised by the margin of victory over formidable Ocean, which has given PHS some tight tournament battles over the years.

“It was surprising because we have known that Ocean is a strong team,” said Deardorff. “We have had good meets with them so it was nice to win like that.”

It has been nice for Deardorff to compete in shorter races this season. “I never really focused on the 500 but in the past the team needed me in it,” added Deardorff, who is headed to Bowdoin College this fall where he will compete for the school’s swim team.

“It is nice to have an entire freshman lineup for the 500. The depth we have this year is awesome. Mr. Hand [PHS head coach Greg Hand] can move us around to events that he needs to without sacrificing any events.”

Head coach Hand, for his part, liked the depth his team displayed in the win over Ocean.

“This is one to savor,” asserted Hand. “We finished against a really strong opponent with a lot of swimmers who are well known because they have all achieved a lot in high school swimming. I thought our guys just pounded out one really solid performance after another and it may well have been our fastest meet of the year. I think that shows how much the kids wanted to perform tonight.”

In addition to Deardorff, other individual winners for PHS included junior Derek Colaizzo in the 50 free and 100 butterfly, junior Matt Kuhlik in the 100 free, and freshman star Stange in the 500 free.

While many viewed the margin of victory as a statement of PHS’s dominance, Hand saw it as a statement of a different nature.

“As a statement it is only a statement to ourselves that the kids love the sport and they have worked so hard so that they can have a chance to swim in meets like this one tonight,” said Hand.

Deardorff, for his part, would like the chance to end his senior season by swimming in a state championship meet.

“It is nice but we want to win the states, we haven’t won that yet,” said Deardorff.

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