Sports
Success Comes in With The Tide at Junior Olympics
Carter Weiland leads JCC swimmers to impressive performance
The JCC Bridgewater Tide Swim Team made history at the New Jersey Junior Olympic State Championships at Rutgers University.
The Tide now has its first state champion and nationally ranked swimmer, 12-year-old Carter Weiland. Carter placed first in both the Men’s 11-12 400 IM and 1500 Freestyle with times in the USA Swimming National Top 10. Carter also brought home a silver medal in the 800 Freestyle and six Bronze Medals.
Evan Kott won medals in the 13-14 Boys 100 Breaststroke, 200 Breaststroke, 200 IM and 400 IM. Doug Quagliato placed in the 15 and Over Boys 200 Breaststroke, 400 IM and 200 Fly.
Also scoring points that contributed to the Tide’s highest place finish in team history: Leah Juechter’s 12th place finish in the 11-12 Girls 200 Breaststroke, Rayna Klugherz’s 11th place finish in the 11-12 Girls 200 Breaststroke, Riley Pestorius’s 15th place finish in the 13-14 Boys 400 IM, Melody Visconti’s 15th place finish in the 13-14 Girls 200 Breaststroke.
The Tide sent 22 swimmers to Rutgers to compete: Christine Arcoleo, Brendan Blood, Eileen Blood, Alexis Brewer, Ryan Bugianesi, Leah Juechter, Hannah Lesser, Paul Pacelli, Sarah Pacelli, Doug Quagliato, Kinsey Rushevics, Melody Visconti, Carter Weiland, Ethan Weiland and Bhavya Yalamanchili of Bridgewater; Katelyn Battagliese of Hillsborough; Evan Kott of Piscataway; and Rayna Klugherz and Hayley Margulis of Basking Ridge.
Kott, Quagliato and Weiland will be representing the Bridgewater Tide and New Jersey at Eastern Zones in Richmond, Va. Bridgewater Tide Coach Steve Wilson was selected to represent NJ Swimming as a zones coach, an impressive honor for both Wilson and the Tide.
The Bridgewater Tide is a year-round USA Swimming program that participates in local, state and national competitions. The Tide’s home is the Shimon and Sara Birnbaum Jewish Community Center on Talamini Road in Bridgewater and the team is open to the entire community.
The Tide has more than 150 swimmers ranging in age from 6 to 18 and the Tide is one of only a few teams in the country to have two Level 5 ASCA coaches on staff.
The Bridgewater Tide program focuses on developing the entire athlete, including proper stroke technique, racing strategies, work ethic and good sportsmanship.
For additional information on the Bridgewater Tide Swim Team, visit the Swim Team link of the JCC website www.ssbjcc.org or contact Swim Team Director Mike Yearwood: 908-725-6994 Ext. 252; MYearwood@ssbjcc.org.
