Colts Swim Team Looks to Capture State Title

After another successful season, the Kinnelon High School girls swim team is headed to the final round of state championships this weekend.

Kinnelon High School Athletic Director Scott Rosenberg said there's something special about this year's team.

"They have an intrinsic motivation unlike many I’ve seen over the years in high school athletics," he said.

Kinnelon will face the Chatham High School girls swim team, a team that defeated the Colts earlier in the season. Chatham girls won the final round of the NJSIAA Group Tournament, Public B last week against Haddonfield, the same team they defeated in 2012 for the state championship.

The meet for the state title will be held Saturday at 12:15 p.m. at The College of New Jersey.

Chatham swim coach Coach Frank DiGiacomo is the team's third coach in as many years, working with both the boys and girls teams. One of his goals for the year, he said, was to lead both teams to a successful season, which can be difficult in a school where the the girls' success so brilliantly outshines their male counterparts. In 2012 a team T-shirt for the boys' team read in part, "Yes, we have a boys team, too."

"[Kinnelon] is going to be a tough team, they're going to show up to swim. ... It's going to be a great meet, a lot of fun to watch, and we're going to do our best there," DiGiacomo said

Rosenberg said the Kinnelon team has been working hard this season to get to this point, playing up the strengths of each swimmer.

"What has helped this team blossom is the combination of our incredible first-lane swimmers and the depth that the rest of the team provides," he said.

He also credited the coaches for pushing the girls.

"Our coaches have provided leadership, skilled training and an unrelenting focus for this cerebral group of athletes," he said.