As the final race ended, the swimming center bursted into applause. The KHS girls’ swim team held the state sectional title against Mountain Lakes on Feb. 15 with a score of 106-64.

The win for the girls is not just another victory but a new chapter in their season. Senior Grace Mougalian says, “We made it into the state semifinals. This is our second year doing it. […] It goes to show that as a small team in a small town in Kinnelon, we don’t really see teams making it this far, especially swimming, but it shows that we can do a lot with what we have.”

Throughout the season, the team remained undefeated with a current record of 11-0. Behind the scenes, KHS swim coach Brian Boardman was a major part of their success. “I try to tell the swimmers to never put too much pressure on themselves. As a former swimmer myself, I realize what they’re going through, and I try to let them know that the training they put in will be worth it by the end of the season,” he said.

During the season, the girls have experienced a large amount of wins. However, senior Jianna Sartorio highlighted one specific meet. “I definitely think our most exciting meet was sectional finals, but as a team, one of our best wins was against Knolls and Lakes, who are one of our rivals.” In the past, the girls faced troubles against the Mountain Lakes swimming team, with this only being their second consecutive win after losing against them nine times from 2013 to 2022.

Despite the success, Boardman explains some of the difficulties they faced as a team. “We’ve had a lot of time off for weather reasons due to snow and other things. […] We’re one of ten teams in the state who are still competing, so keeping their mind right and going is sometimes a challenge.”

Even though the team faced troubles, the upperclassmen also stepped up for the rest of the team. “I think that keeping [the underclassmen] hype about the season, we’re going pretty far now. The boys are done with their season, but keeping them excited and letting them know the gravity of this is important,” said senior Grace Bohan. 

While new to the team, freshman Ridhima Chauhan shared what she had already learned this season. “My biggest takeaway from this season is how to persevere, keep a good streak going, and bounce back from not-so-great swims. […] The girls were great and kept working to keep their winning streak, which worked so far.”

Sartorio also touched on the challenges newcomers can face, saying, “I feel like going in as a freshman can be scary when you have to meet new people and a new team, but as a veteran to the team, I know what it is all about and making them experience it how I did is important.”

As the season continues, Boardman’s expectations for the team also rise. “Win a state championship; that’s what my vision is every year. We already just won a state sectional, so we have two weeks left, and if we win both of those, we will be state champions.”

On Sunday, Feb. 25, the girls have another meet to determine whether they are state champions.