Becton’s new swim team is definitely making a splash in their very first season. Head Coach Bayersdorfer’s goal for this first season of the program, “was simply to grow as a fresh, first-year team, and try to win a meet.” Encouraging each swimmer, she was not sure what to expect and just wanted to get everyone’s feet wet, including herself, as to how high school swimming works.
Coach Bayersdorfer has learned a lot about swim coaching too, happy to get to do more with the sport that she grew up competing in. She has been trying to keep up her X: @Math_With_MissB (formerly Twitter) communication as well, which the community has seemed to be very supportive of.
The team practices at the Meadowlands YMCA, right after school, Monday through Thursday. The captains for the team this year are seniors Emma Aumack and Joshua Vazquez.
Captain Emma Aumack states, “Being captain of the girls’ swim team is such a rewarding experience. After spending the last few years communicating back and forth with administration to get the team started, it is an amazing feeling to be back in the water and competing with my teammates.”
Coach Bayersdorfer recognizes additional swimmers as well, “Swimmers Charles Groh and Evan Fonseca qualified for the Bergen County Meet of Champions, which is a huge win for them as individuals, and for Becton in our first year competing! As Charles Groh is a year-round, 6-7 day-a-week club swimmer, he is always a strong performer at meets. He is a very humble and hardworking team-player. There are also several young, eager swimmers, who I am excited to see what the next years on Becton’s swim team bring them: Gabriella Jaskot, Kamila Pachucki, Vincent Cicarelli, Emmitt Janosz, Ethan Barbarena and Dylan Ryan.”
Groh shares his experience on the team, “As I am currently one of the fastest swimmers, my primary goal is to lead the team to success. I try to improve my personal best times, setting a high standard for the team. Ultimately, I want us all to excel and make our name known in the upcoming competitions.” His key strengths include discipline and determination. He believes in setting high standards, which translates into hard work and dedication during practice. Groh’s ability to stay focused under pressure allows him to perform well during competitions. These strengths help him set an example for his teammates and create a positive and driven team culture.
Being one of the swimmers qualified for the Bergen County Meet of Champions, Groh states, “Qualifying for the Bergen County Meet of Champions is an incredible achievement not just for me, but for the entire team. It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication we’ve put into our training. Personally, it’s a proud moment, and it motivates me to perform at my best in the upcoming competition. Mainly, I see it as an opportunity for our team to showcase our skills and make a statement in the swimming community.”
As for Evan Fonseca, another swimmer who qualified for the Bergen County Meet of Champions, he shares, “I felt amazed and shocked when I realized me and Charles both qualified for the Bergen County Meet of Champions. This being my first year swimming competitively, I know I need to work on my times, but I felt that this meet would help me realize my new competition. I will continue to practice and improve to hopefully be one of the top swimmers in the Meet of Champions. It was an unforgettable experience to be in, and I know the next time I qualify, I will be much more prepared than before.”
Fonseca’s goal is to beat his best time of 24.48 seconds for the 50 meter freestyle, and also cut down on his 100 meter butterfly time to eventually qualify for that as well. He wants to practice during the off season to make sure he continues to cut down on his times by practicing twice a day.
As their season is coming to an end, Coach Bayersdorfer is extremely proud of the whole swim team and their performances! In the words of Coach Bayersdorfer, “Sometimes it is important to bring it back to basics, as those ‘basic’ things are sometimes the things that cost .02 seconds in a meet. I am glad that these swimmers are all very supportive of one another, and work well together as a team. We hope to end the season strong, repping the B in the NJIC Championship meet, Saturday, Feb. 3 at 10 A.M. at Lyndhurst High School!”
