Swimming: News and notes from the Big North Conference

Feast your eyes on this note. I’ve written it, I’ve tweeted it, and now it’s time to blog it. Because it’s worth mentioning — again.

Everyone knows Teaneck junior Jason Arthur is a talented young man, but what he did on Thursday evening at Hackensack HS in the Big North Conference, Patriot Division meet was extraordinary.

Teaneck was trailing first-place Demarest in the 200-yard free relay by 2.68 seconds when Arthur knifed into the water for the anchor leg. Oh, I know what you’re thinking, but it’s better than that. Arthur came up short of catching Demarest anchor Matthew Panzella by just .15 but he made a race of it by splitting 21.01.

21.01!!!

Oh, and Teaneck just missed catching Demarest by .15 seconds.

That is easily the fastest I have seen a New Jersey high school swimmer go in 16 years of covering the sport here. Maybe you have seen somebody go faster, but c’mon, that time is approaching Cullen Jones territory. I know you don’t need a refresher course on that guy…

IT’S A FAMILY THING: Demarest freshman Gabrielle Cervone and Tenafly senior Sophie Tallier had a nice head-to-head battle in the Patriot Division distance freestyle events.

Tallier struck the first blow when she beat Cervone in the 200 free, 1:59.56 to 2:02.56. Cervone countered with a victory in the 500 free, where the girls were literally neck-and-neck for 300 yards before Cervone prevailed, 5:13.38 to 5:14.31.

“At 300 you have to bring everything you have,” Cervone said. “I would hate to get out-touched in the 500.”

After the 500, Cervone and I chatted about her family’s swimming history. Cervone is the youngest of six children , the oldest being Victoria, a two-time NJSIAA Meet of Champions winner in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly (2007, ’09) whom I covered while with The Star-Ledger. Cervone swam for Clemson until the school folded the program in 2012.

Gabrielle told me she didn’t get into swimming because her older siblings did, but she did say her siblings gave her motivation to swim well.

“I definitely have a goal to be better than Tori,” Cervone said.

HACKENSACK MAKING HISTORY: For the first time since the late 1980s, the Lady Comets of Hackensack have qualified for the state team tournament. Hackensack is currently 9-2 under the direction of coach Scott Davis, in his sixth season.

After a loss to Northern Highlands left the team 1-1, Hackensack found its way with a seven-meet winning streak.

“It just worked out where we matched up against teams well and everyone started dropping time and getting faster,” Davis said.

On Tuesday, Hackensack continued its revival season by finishing second in the Big North Conference, Freedom Division meet, behind Northern Highlands, 537 to 375.

“Some of our better club swimmers would get disappointed by not getting personal bests every time,” Davis said. “I told them, Kobe Bryant doesn’t make every shot he takes. But the winning streak helped them become consistent and confident.”

Leading this rebirth have been two standouts, junior Christina Cusmano (sprints, backstroke) and senior Casey Koenig (IM, breaststroke), as well as senior captains Taryn McManus and Alana Vicale.

“Taryn and Alana were role players last year but they have stepped up their game,” Davis said. “Now they fill spots in the lineup where I couldn’t put them last year.”