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Monday Sports Roundup

by MercerMe Staff

Friday was opening night for Hopewell Valley Central High School (CHS) girls’ and boys’ basketball teams.   The girls won 53-26 over Hamilton West led by Abby Oldfield (#2) with 19 pts, and Franki Gomez (#3) with 12 pts. The boys lost to Hamilton West 60-38. Gabe Rodriguez had 11 pts and Jake Loughery pitched in 8. On Saturday, the girls lost to the Lady Stateliners of Phillipsburg High School. The Bulldogs were paced by Franki Gomez with 14pts.

In conjunction with the opening of basketball season, the “old” gym was re-dedicated as the “G Randle Ackerman Gymnasium” in a dedication ceremony attended by the Ackerman family. -Paul Domboski

Charlotte Hare attempts a free throw in Saturday’s game against Phillipsburg. (Photo by Paul Domboski)

This week the CHS girls’ swim team won both of their meets, defeating both Ewing and Hightstown. On Tuesday, the Bulldogs beat Ewing 120-47 with many first-place finishes. Ava D’Alessandro won the 100 breaststroke (1:25.78) and the 200 freestyle (2:19), Natalie Hayward won the 100 backstroke (1:24.08), Shriya Karthikvatsan won the 500 freestyle (6:10.43), Regan Sherman won the 200 individual medley (2:24.21), and Emilie Sawicki won the 50 freestyle (28.34) and the 100 freestyle (1:04.27). The Bulldogs also won the 200 medley relay (Lilly Wurtz, Sawicki, Karthikvatsan and Jade Gamelin-Kao, 2:06.92), the 200 freestyle relay (Sherman, Karthikvatsan, D’Alessandro and Gamelin-Kao, 1.50.29), and the 400 freestyle relay (Hayward, Wurtz, Sofia Marcus and Karthikvatsan, 4:47.60).

On Thursday, the girls continued their winning ways by besting Hightstown in a close meet by a score of 99-71. Karthikvatsan won the 200 individual medley (2:31.41) and the 100 freestyle (1:01.04), Sherman won the 500 freestyle (5:31.31), and Sawicki won the 100 breaststroke (1:15.05). The Bulldogs also won the 200 medley relay (Sherman, Sawicki, D’Alessandro and Karthikvatsan, 2:06.92) and the 200 freestyle relay (Wurtz, Alyssa Liu, Sion Shambora and Gamelin-Kao, 1:57.91).  Their next meet is on January 2nd at Robbinsville. Christopher Sawicki

Emilie Sawicki swims for the lead in tight breast stroke race against Hightstown. (Photo by Christopher Sawicki)

On Tuesday, the CHS boys’ swim team competed against Ewing, with the Bulldogs winning by a score of 135-33. In the 200 medley relay, Christopher Sawicki, Matthew Immordino, Lucas Henderson and Hayden Geurds won with a time of 2:02.25, and in the 200 free relay Anthony Azara, Michael Genovesi, Immordino and Alessio Paoloni swam a 1:45.30 to place first. In the 400 free relay Geurds, Thomas Montanari, Paoloni and James Long placed first with a time of 3:57.97. Other first place finishes included Immordino (200 free, 2:04.13), Azara (200 IM, 2:33.74), Alex Helmrich (50 free, 25.69), Paoloni (100 fly, 55.00), Owen Seibold (100 free, 57.96), John Raskin (500 free, 6:17.30), Geurds (100 back, 1:11.72), and Sawicki (100 breast, 1:17.39).

On Thursday, the boys faced a tough opponent in Hightstown but won by a score of 95-75 after staging a late comeback. In the 100 backstroke Paoloni (1:00.84), Sawicki (1:06.73) and Azara (1:08.34) placed above all three swimmers from Hightstown, as did Immordino (1:10.15), Seibold (1:14.20) and Genovesi (1:17.19) in the 100 breaststroke. Additionally, Immordino placed first in the 200 free (2:02.27) and Paoloni placed first in the 200 IM (2:08.73).  Paoloni, Immordino, Helmrich and Sawicki placed first in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:50.93, and Helmrich, Sawicki, Geurds and Paoloni placed first in the 400 free relay with a time of 3:38.20. -Emilie Sawicki

Hopewell Valley’s Bulldog Thomas Montanari prepares to dive off the block for the 100 butterfly. (Photo by Emilie Sawicki)

The Hopewell Valley- Montgomery (HVM) varsity hockey team had two games this week.  On Tuesday, they played Princeton High School. Princeton scored three times in the first period but held the Bulldogs scoreless. Lucas Gaissert scored in the second, but Princeton did as well.  In the third, Joe Greenspoon and Cal Fleming scored, but Princeton added one more to their total.  The final score was 3-6.  Thursday’s game against Ocean Township ended in a win. Dan Seamon and Mike Boyer scored twice.  Sean Amon scored as well. Andrew Seamon, Cal Flemin, Dan Season, Sean Amon, Lucas Gaisset and Trent Demers all had assists. The final score was 5-3. -Tracy Vogler

The HVM junior varsity hockey team started the week with a game against Howell. Billy Ruger of the Bulldogs was the first to score, but Howell scored twice in the first period, setting the tone for the game. Ultimately, Billy Ruger scored a hat trick, but the Bulldogs fell to Howell 8-3.  On Sunday, they played Scotch Plains-Fanwood.  Joe Greenspoon scored once, but Scotch Plains was able to take advantage of penalties on the Bulldogs and score several time bringing the score to 1-4.  Michael Paster scored twice, bringing the score to 3-4. But Scotch Plains scored again, making the final 3-5. -Tracy Vogler

JV Bulldogs face off against Scotch Plains-Fanwood (Photo by Tracy Vogler)

For this week’s upcoming HVRSD games, see the schedule here: https://www.colonialvalleyconference.org/public/genie/348/school/7/

If you would like to contribute sports reporting or game photographs to MercerMe, please send an email to [email protected].

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