Ocean City Girls Win Cape-Atlantic League Swimming Title

Ocean City High School easily passed the first test of what could be a historic season for the girls swimming team.

The Red Raiders annihilated rival Mainland Regional High School, 109-61, in a showdown of undefeated teams on Tuesday at the Ocean City Aquatics and Fitness Center.

Ocean City won 10 of the meet's 11 events, finished 1-2 in six events and swept the top three places in two events.

The Red Raiders are now 10-0 on the season and claim a Cape-Atlantic League title. Coming into the meet, Ocean City had clinched the CAL National Division title and Mainland the CAL American Division. The Mustangs fall to 10-1.

It is the first Cape-Atlantic League title for Ocean City since the league created a separate division for girls' swimming in 2004-05. The Raiders have won the CAL National Division for four consecutive years.

The Red Raiders reached the South Jersey semifinal in the Public B division before falling to Haddonfield last winter. But this year, the team looks poised to go much further in state competition.

Senior Noel Styer won the sprints (50- and 100-meter freestyle) and freshman Amanda Nunan captured the distance events (200- and 400-meter freestyle). But the meet was a showcase for Ocean City's depth.

After a relatively narrow victory in the opening 200-meter medley relay (Rachel Chain, Aleva Parker, Aly Chain and Styer), Ocean City made an immediate statement by sweeping the 200-meter freestyle (Nunan, Gabby Breazeale and Erin Myers).

The Raiders' Amber Glenn and Aly Chain finished 1-2 in the 200-meter individual medley, then Styer and Rachel Chain took 1-2 in the 50 freestyle.

Coming out of the mid-meet break, Ocean City swept the 100 butterfly (Aly Chain, Breazeale and Myers) to leave no doubt about the outcome of the meet.

Ocean City winners in the remaining events included Aly Chain, Breazeale, Nunan and Styer in the 200-meter freestyle relay, Rachel Chain in the 100-meter backstroke, and Rachel Chain, Glenn, Breazeale and Nunan in the 400-meter freestyle relay.

Mainland's Kelly McGroarty broke Ocean City's sweep of first places by winning the 100-meter breaststroke.

On the other side of double dual meet on Tuesday, the Ocean City boys fell to Mainland, 117-53. Sophomore Kevin Gill broke a school record in the 400 freestyle in Ocean City's only victory in the boys' meet.

Winners were as follows:

GIRLS

200 Medley Relay: Ocean Ciity — Rachel Chain, Aleva Parker, Aly Chain and Noel Styer, 2:08.16
200 Freestlye: Ocean City — Amanda Nunan, 2:07.24
200 IM: Ocean City — Amber Glenn, 2:28.43
50 Freestyle: Ocean City — Noel Styer, 26.84
100 Butterfly: Ocean City — Aly Chain, 1:08.12
100 Freestyle: Ocean City — Noel Styer, 1:00.14
400 Freestyle: Ocean City — Amanda Nunan, 4:26.82
200 Free Relay: Ocean City — Aly Chain, Gabby Breazeale, Amanda Nunan, Noel Styer, 1:52.49
100 Backstroke: Ocean City — Rachel Chain, 1:08.43
100 Breaststroke: Mainland — Kelly McGroarty
400 Free Relay: Ocean City — Rachel Chain, Amber Glenn, Gabby Breazeale, Amanda Nunan, 4:10.04


BOYS

200 Medley Relay: Mainland — Derek Kneisel, Brian McGroarty, Brandon Truong, Paul Berges, 2:08.16
200 Freestlye: Mainland —  Nolan Coyle, 2:00.44
200 IM: Mainland — Brian McGroarty, 2:15.97
50 Freestyle: Mainland — Paul Berges, 25.46
100 Butterfly: Mainland — Brandon Truong, 1:02.07
100 Freestyle: Mainland — Nolan Coyle, 57.07
400 Freestyle: Ocean City — Kevin Gill , 4:17.12 (Ocean City record)
200 Free Relay: Mainland — Colt Lacoure, Paul Berges, Rich Richmond, Noah Coyle, 1:45.84
100 Backstroke: Mainland — Derek Kneisel, 1:03.95
100 Breaststroke: Mainland — Brandon Truong
400 Free Relay: Mainland — Brian McGroarty, Rich Richmond, Justin Liu, Nolan Coyle, 3:56.69