Even if you know a member of the girls swimming team, it is still unlikely that you would be aware of the successes that this year’s program has had. With silent dominance, South Swimming has put together one of its most successful seasons of the past decade. Under the guidance of head coach D. Skinner, the girls are a perfect 7-0 in division meets, and are on the verge of capturing the a-North Division title, a feat they hope to accomplish with a win against RBC on Wednesday the 23. The girls captured forth place at the Monmouth County Meet earlier this month, falling behind only the powerhouse schools of RBC, RFH, and Manasquan. This result, the girl’s best in the last 4 seasons, came without team captain Martha Smith, who was sidelined due to illness.
One thing that has been a difference maker for this year’s program has been the overabundance of talented underclassmen. “We really have a lot of depth this year. That has made our relays a lot stronger and has allowed us to sweep individual events”, says captain Martha Smith. The girl’s team has captured first, second, and third in the 100 freestyle in multiple meets this year. The underclassmen have been instrumental this year in the girl’s undefeated season. Sophomore Melissa Segovia, one of the team’s fastest and most consistent performers, has turned in first place finishes in the 100 breaststroke, and the 100 freestyle. Other young members of the Eagle’s lineup include freshman Annemarie Schnoor, freshman Phoebe Gartside, freshman Katherine Scott, and sophomore Lauren Homack. Leading this pack of underclassmen is a group of talented seniors, all of whom have members of this varsity program for four years. These veterans include senior Sarah Segovia, one of the teams captains who swims the 50 freestyle, Brittney Snyder, who provides senior leadership for the relay teams, and Martha Smith, who swims the 200 IM and the 100 butterfly.
In addition to their campaign for the divisional crown, several of the South girls will be traveling to the Shore Conference Tournament Meet. Gartside, Schnoor, Scott, Segovia, Smith, Homack, and Megowan, will all be representing South at this competition, and hope to win even more accolades for this already exceptional team.
As the girls enter the final lap of this season, it is with great pride that we recognize an unsung group of athletes who carry South’s tradition of athletic excellence, and who we hope can continue their dominance for seasons to come.