Wayne Valley on top in Passaic County by Sean Farrell of The Record
WAYNE – The outburst of cheers began the second Claire Custance’s hand touched the wall.
Her teammates hugged. Her coach began to cry. Parents reached for cellphones and cameras to document every move from the stands.
These were the sights and sounds of a moment and a win three years in the making for Wayne Valley. The Indians became the Passaic County girls swimming champions on Saturday for the first time since 2014.
The booming celebration began when their reliable sophomore closed out the day in style. She anchored her 400-yard freestyle relay team to victory in almost record-breaking speed.
“As soon as I touched the wall, I almost started bursting out in tears,” Custance said. “I thought, ‘is this really happening?’”
Custance continued her impressive young career by defending her breast stroke title, taking the 200-yard IM and winning a total of four events on the day.
“Having her anchor [relays] is a strong point for us because she’s confident and she’s fast,” said Sarah Kauffman, the Wayne Valley girls swimming coach. “She knows what she’s doing and she can handle the pressure.”
But the final win proved to be more of a formality than a necessity for the Passaic County champions. Wayne Valley earned a whopping 388 points to secure the title over Passaic Tech, after spending the last two years as the runner-up to crosstown rival Wayne Hills.
The Indians won six of 11 races, and finished third or higher in almost every event.
“Everyone knows that it’s our depth that really counts,” Custance said. “It’s not just our club swimmers who get first place. It’s everyone on the team. And everyone did their best times. It was the best feeling ever being in this atmosphere.”
The Bulldogs finished second in team points with strong performances coming from Mary Pilkington, Symi Lall and Vanessa Hernandez. Pilkington posted some of her best times during wins in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles, even while battling bronchitis.
“I didn’t know what to expect in this meet,” Pilkington said. “I didn’t expect to do that well.”
The difference in the meet came from the youth movement that’s made Wayne Valley one of the most improved teams throughout the season.
Freshman Maddie Borowinski surprised herself when she became a Passaic County champion in her first attempt. She showed almost no emotion even after looking at the scoreboard that showed her victory in the 50-yard freestyle. It took a while to process what actually happened.
“I was kind of in shock,” Borowinski joked. “It’s my first county meet so I didn’t know what to believe. I saw the board and came over by the bleachers and thought about it for a minute. Then I thought, ‘I just won. I just got my first county title.’”
From start to finish, Wayne Valley proved just how dominant its underclassmen have become. Borowinski went on to win the 100-yard freestyle. The Indians got strong performances from sophomore Liz Mercuris and freshman Kelly Reynolds. And Custance stepped up again as the closer, not even halfway through her career.
The Passaic County champions still have room to grow.
“That’s crazy to think about,” Custance said. “It’s really, really exciting because we know that we are only going to get better. There’s nothing that’s slowing us down. We’re only going to go faster and faster. That’s the best thought in the world. I just can’t wait for the next few years.”