By Matt Cowen, Staff Writer

Newark Academy swimming had a banner year, literally and figuratively.

It all started, as men’s team captain Harry McCarthy ’13 put it, “when the winter sports captains got together for a meeting.” It was at that meeting that each set of captains would plan out how to best lead their teams. For the swimming captains, the goal was simple. It wasn’t about winning state championships and breaking records: it was merely to “instill a much better work ethic with the way we approached our practices. It was that work ethic,” McCarthy said, “that really pushed the girls over the edge in terms of how well they did in conference this year, and the guys in terms of how well we did in our conference, especially later in the season.”

This determined attitude bred a camaraderie between members of both teams – as each swimmer was striving towards a common goal. Andrea Galea ’16, the team’s bright spot as a freshman, said that this close team dynamic led to her feeling as if she “could talk to any of (my teammates) even outside of the pool.” Perhaps that companionship translated into success for the women’s team, as they went 9-4, with the relay team winning Counties for the first time ever, and both Galea and captain Jen Koide setting new individual school records. The competition was certainly fierce, especially between top swimmers like Koide and Galea, but, as the age-old adage states, it brought out the best in all parties. “The captains were amazing,” Galea said, “I think that the girls specifically really asked for our opinions on any decisions that were made and overall I felt like I could talk to them easily and we all had a great, laid back attitude.”

The men’s team battled through adversity all season, but put on their best performance when it mattered most. Although the team went 5-8 overall, they made it to the Non-Public B North sectional final, where they hosted Oratory Prep. The boys won the meet handily, becoming state champions. Certainly the boisterous crowd that day was a factor (the Red Army willing yet another team to victory), but the most significant contributor to the win was the preparation leading up to the meet. As senior Nathaniel Okun points out, “I was extremely proud of how the team came together. Everyone stepped it up in their preparation and it showed when they swam. Bill (Ulrich ’14) dropped two seconds off his season best in the 100 back, Harry (McCarthy) shaved both his chest and a second off his 50 free time, and everyone did fantastically.” The team averaged 1700 power points entering the meet, and earned an incredible 2450 once all was said and done. Okun appropriately called it “an incredible transformation.” The highlight of the meet undoubtedly came after its conclusion, when Coach Blomn jumped in the pool to join his team in joyous celebration.

For both teams, the recipe for success was a new, hard-nosed attitude adopted willfully by a group of determined swimmers. This season will be treated as a model for turning team dynamic into success in the pool.