Swim team dives into victory

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The water splashes as Tyler Hopkins does a backstroke.

BY LAILA MOHAMED-ALI

The swimming team closed out another season packed with team effort and personal accomplishments. The girls finished with a 4-3 record, and the boys finished 1-6.

Tyler Hopkins qualified for the Meet of Champions, a competition between the athletes with top times in New Jersey. “It felt great and very rewarding because of the work the team and I put in this season,” said Tyler Hopkins.

Thomas Smith qualified for a wildcard race for the Meet of Champions by swimming the 50-meter freestyle in 23.93 seconds. “I qualified for my 50 free with hard work throughout the season by swimming every day, including weekends,” said Thomas Smith.

The girls had an outstanding season, surpassing the past four years in their record. “This year we finished with a winning record of 4-3,” said Marin Pollock. “We hadn’t even won once in the past four years, so it was super exciting [that] we were able to win a majority this season.”

Junior Victoria Caicedo pushes herself up for air before going back underwater.

“Senior night was my favorite meet because we had a nice ceremony for the seniors, and there were so many people there,” said Rachel Nagy. Seniors Elizabeth Tchia and Charlize Green celebrated their last season surrounded by the support of their teammates, family, and friends.

The girls won their last two meets against St. Thomas Aquinas and South Plainfield to finish the season. “All those draining practices finally felt worth it!” said Elizabeth Tchia.

  • Freshman Teddie Santoro steps up onto the diving board before his race.
  • Junior Tyler Hopkins, who qulaified for the Meet of Champions, warms up in the pool before before a race.
  • Thomas Smith, who qualified for the Meet of Champions wildcard, prepares to dive into the water.

Posted on March 13, 2026

Photos by Laila Mohamed-Ali and Lisa Tooley