Swim Teams Advance to State Semis

Next stop, the sectional semifinals.

The Westfield High School boys and girls swimming teams advanced into today's North A sectional semifinal with Montgomery with wins last Friday. The two-time defending state champ boys and Union County champions beat South Brunswick 126-44. The girls, also the sectional defending champion and county champions, edged East Brunswick 92-78.

The boys and girls will play host to Montgomery today at the Westfield Y at 2:30. If the teams win they will swim for the sectional championship Thursday night at the Raritan Bay YMCA Aquatic Facility in Perth Amboy. The boys, who improved to 9-4, cruised in the quarterfinal, winning 10 of 11 events.

"It was a good meet for our depth guys,'' said head coach Jeff Knight.

The team also had an opportunity to swim different events. Jack Lorentzen, normally a 50 and 100 freestyler, won the 500 in 5:30.66. Brennan Haley took the 100 backstroke in 59.16, Tim Walsh won the 100 freestyle in 52.37. "He swam a fantastic race,'' said Knight.

Others to win were Matt Meserole in the 200 free, Mike Oster in the 50 free and Nick Boyle in the 200 IM and Matt Daniel took the butterfly. The Blue Devils swept the relays. Walsh swam on the 200 and 400 free relays Montgomery will prove a much different opponent. The Cougars walloped East Brunswick 117-53 in their quarterfinal win. Montgomery is 10-1-1. Montgomery finished third at the recent Somerset County Championships behind Bridgewater-Raritan and champion Pingry and was runner-up to Pingry at the Skyland Conference Championships.

"Montgomery is a very, very strong opponent,'' said Knight. "We are separated by 18 power points. That could mean a second in a relay. We're really even teams.''

The girls improved their record to 13-1 by winning the last event, the 400 relay. The girls 400 relay team of Meredith Smith, Emily Budnick, Catherine Kerr and Suzanne Lemberg delivered the victory by winning in 3:51.07. Lemberg also won the 100 breast stroke. The Montgomery girls (8-3-1) advanced by beating South Brunswick in the quarterfinal round.