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Sports

Marlins Dominate Divisional Championships

Prepare for Thursday's meet of champions.

 

The Westfield Marlins “blue’’ team is heading for another milestone end to a season.

The Marlins dominated the Union County Outdoor League divisional championships at Livingston and will have a sizeable representation in the league championships Thursday morning at New Providence. Warm-up starts at 7 a.m. with races to begin at 8 a.m.

Coach Judy Lee had a team of about 60 swimmers in the divisional meet with 45 of them advancing to Thursday’s championships. The performance was outstanding considering that some of the Marlins’ best are currently at the YMCA Nationals at College Park, Md.

“Some of the kids got personal bests and that’s what you want at this point of the season,’’ Lee said.

The Marlins had 14 individual winners with two relay teams also winning. Larry Zhang won the 50 breast stroke and fly; Steve Husch, who is having a phenomenal summer, won the 50 free and breast in the 11-12 age group, Erika Daniel won the IM and 50 fly and her brother, Colin, took the 25 breast and fly. Danielle Rubiano won the same events and the boys won the 12-and-under medley and freestyle.

“I would say it’s par for the course,’’ said Lee when asked if the number of swimmers who advanced was greater than in recent years. “If we had some of the kids who are at the Y Nationals we would have had more, but maybe some of them wouldn’t have made it."

There are four divisions with 20 teams in the league. Westfield shares its division with West Orange, West Caldwell, Livingston and New Providence. The top six in each event advance to the league championships.

“Our division tends to be the most competitive and deeper (with talent),’’ Lee said.
There will be two heats in every race Thursday.Coaches met Monday night to seed each event, Lee said.

“It’ll be a fast meet, for sure,’’ Lee said.

 

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