By Cole Abbey ’15
Staff Writer
The Peddie swimming program has kicked off its 104th season with a 7-1 combined record through their first eight meets this winter.
Both teams are hoping to win the annual Eastern Swimming Championships held at Germantown Academy. The meet is known to be the largest prep school aquatic event in the nation. The boys are looking to win their second consecutive title.
The team began working toward this goal before the start of the official season, during their yearly training trip to Naples, Fla. The team held double practices each day, but relaxed after a strenuous week with a cookout.
The team’s only loss came when the boys met up with Christian Brother’s Academy, a top ranked team in New Jersey. Although the match ultimately ended in an 84-86 loss for the Peddie boys, the team displayed its talent and persistence, as they came only two points short of an upset over the swimming power house.
However, the team dominated several meets with ease. This month, Peddie defeated Mercersburg in a decisive fashion. The boys won all of the day’s contests, pulling off a 131-49 victory. The girls grabbed a 122-61 victory, losing in only one of the events.
Despite Peddie’s success, the team has worked hard for their current record. During a challenging meet against Andover and Suffield, the Falcons trailed at the mid-way point. However, the team rallied, ultimately pulling of a 93-90 win over Andover.
“This dual meet taught us the meaning of adversity. We could easily have given up at the half but we decided to come together as a team and give it our best effort to represent the teammates around us,” Patrick Park ’14 said.
The team hosts the MAPL tournament this Saturday at 2 p.m.
