Big Fish: SPF Boys' Swimming Sits Atop State

Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School has the top swimming team in the state among public schools. The phrase bears repeating because it doesn’t quite sound right. What about the usual suspects like Westfield, Bridgewater, the Cherry Hill schools and Mountain Lakes?

They are all looking up to the Raiders, whose latest impressive 87-83 victory at previously second ranked Bridgewater on Wednesday January 19 vaulted them from fifth to just behind state number one Christian Brothers Academy.

“Being considered the best public school in the state is truly incredible,” Scotch Plains junior Greg Baliko said. “Coming from freshman year, where we didn't make it more than a few meets into states, to last year losing to Mountain Lakes in the semi- finals, and finally coming to now, I feel like we really built up. We knew we were going to be strong this year, but we knew that everyone else would be as well. I simply want to hold that [state] title and keep on winning meets.”

In December, Scotch Plains dusted-off long-time nemesis Westfield, once the perennially-acknowledged king of New Jersey swimming, 109-61 and now sets its sights on the Union County championships next Saturday at Rutgers. The Raiders will be heavily favored to wrest the title from Westfield, which claimed its 11th straight team title last year with 442 points and has won 48 of the last 49 championships. And as previous experience has demonstrated, Scotch Plains’ defeat of Westfield during the regular season does not guarantee a win at counties.

“Our guys are too smart to ever overlook a strong program like Westfield or any other team for that matter or take the opportunity to win a county for granted,” said Scotch Plains Coach Jessica Hulnik, who coached the Raider girls to the state titles in 2005 and 2006. “They know they have to earn it.”

Baliko agreed. “Beating Westfield like we did was huge but we also beat them last year and did not win the counties,” he said. “Westfield is not going to give up their title without a fight and Summit is good, too.”

Baliko has won four county individual titles in two years, and he holds the county record in the 200-yard individual medley. In the team’s meet against Bridgewater Wednesday, Baliko won two thrilling duels against Victor Luo, first in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:08.43 – just 1.28 seconds ahead of Luo – and then in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:06.65, only 0.33 seconds faster than Luo.

Baliko’s signature event, the medley, underscores his strength across all four competitive strokes. “What makes Greg such a good medley swimmer is that he does not have an off stroke and he can stay with an opponent in their best stroke,” Hulnik said. “Also, his back half of the IM is so strong.”

That ability likely stems from Baliko’s long experience swimming the medley. “The individual medley has always been a part of my swimming career,” Baliko said. “When I started swimming the medley, I realized that it was my favorite event because I got the chance to do each of the strokes, which I liked. It really is hard to train for because there is a focus on all of the strokes, but once you get a feel for the IM, it’s hard not to love it.”

Joining Baliko as a two-time winner against Bridgewater was rapidly-improving junior Joe Dunn, who swept the 50- and 100-yard free style. A fine individual and relay swimmer his first two years, Dunn is now a threat to win his specialties at the county meet.

“Joe has been solid for us in the sprint events this year,” Hulnik said. “He has really come into his own and has been a great influence on all of our swimmers with his work ethic and attitude.”

The Raiders also earned victories from senior Dan Pesin in the backstroke and Ryan Gajdzisj in the 500-yard freestyle. But the key to their victory was their depth in picking up key fourth, fifth and sixth places.

“Nick Sorace [breaststroke], Ryan Henkels [sprint freestyles], Austin Englehardt [breaststroke], Jeff Peart [distance free], Jason Shaub [sprint free], Mike Pesin [200-free, 100-backstroke], Mike Rizzo [fly and IM], Dan Pesin [backstroke and IM] and Keith Montiero [fly and backstroke],” Hulnik said. “Many teams would kill to have any of these guys as their top lane swimmers. They have been so consistent and so strong for us this year. When you win a meet by four points it is a full team effort. No one's performance can be overlooked or understated.”

Baliko added that much of the team’s focus also stems from his teammates’ mental determination. “Our practices this year are not so much different then other years, but the focus at them from the swimmers is,” he said. “We have always trained hard, but the focus this year is like none other. I feel that the loss to Mountain Lakes last year truly made everyone put their heads down and figure out what they have to do better in order to win. I really believe that the team's focus has brought us to new heights that we have never experienced before.”

One of the more impressive aspects of the Bridgewater win was that the Raiders brought home the victory without first-place finishes from either Mike Napolitano or his brother, Dan, arguably the two fastest swimmers on the team. The brothers, twins in their senior year of school, battled Brian Barr, one of the top swimmers in the state.

“They both did a great job and continue to be two of the finest swimmers we have ever had,” Hulnik said. “Mike was most swimming back to back, from the butterfly and pretty much right into the 500. Not an easy thing to do especially when it’s against one of the top teams in the state.”

The Napolitanos transferred from St. Joseph’s of Metuchen three years ago, which tipped the swimming balance of power to Scotch Plains and ended a long trend of top SPF club swimmers taking their talents elsewhere. While always taking the attitude that you cannot make excuses for swimmers who decide to compete elsewhere, Hulnik is clearly happy that Scotch Plains is holding on to their talented young swimmers.

“The last few years, we have been successful,” she said. “Most people want to be a part of that.”

Baliko added that the team has been on a mission all season since its heartbreaking 85.5-84.5 decision to Mountain Lakes in the state semifinals. The Raiders had rolled to their first sectional title since 2003 with a 95-75 victory over Summit, but the Raiders clearly do not want to stop until they win the elusive state title.

“Last year was obviously a crushing defeat late into the season against Mountain Lakes. On the bus ride home we decided that next year we would redeem our previous loss,” Baliko said. “This year it really does seem like we are on a mission to get back at what we left last year. Our goals have been simple; win one meet at a time. Of course in the backs of our minds we are all thinking about the state Championship, but we try to focus on each meet as they come.”

He added that he’s not worried about “peaking” too early. “Our coaches know exactly what they’re doing with our training,” he said. “They have all of the time for rest and taper scheduled out. Since we keep training through the meets, we know we haven't peaked yet since we haven't been rested. I have full confidence that our coaches have all of our taper and rest fit and scheduled perfectly.”

Hulnik also expressed confidence. “As a coach you are always concerned both when they swim too fast and too slow,” she said. “The important thing is that they don't seem too worried about it. Everyone top to bottom seems to be swimming well right now.”

The article has been revised to reflect the following clarification made Jan. 24:

A previous version of this article stated that Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School is in second place in New Jersey. It is in second place among both public and private schools, but in first place among public schools. The lead and headline were amended to reflect this clarification.

One Year After Earthquake, Haitian Family Finds Hope in Scotch Plains

The six inches of snow that fell Tuesday night did not make Jan. 12, 2011 a day to savor, especially for those used to tropical temperatures. But for the Blanc family of Scotch Plains, it marked a vast improvement over what they experienced exactly a year ago, when they lost all their possessions in the earthquake that destroyed much of their hometown in Haiti.

As they experience their first northeast winter amid a relentless parade of cold and snow, the three Blanc children and their mother said they consider themselves lucky. They were among the few to escape Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, which still has not recovered from the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that killed an estimated 230,000 people, injured another 300,000 and left more than one million homeless.

“It is a very sad day for us because so much of what we knew is lost forever,” said Judeling Blanc, 21, the eldest Blanc child. She said she was in a classroom at her college when the building collapsed.

At their modest Scotch Plains apartment, Blanc looked out her window at the furious storm. “It was late in the afternoon and all of a sudden the building shook and the next thing you knew we were all in rubble, fighting for our lives,” she said. She was extricated by classmates and teachers. Today, she is taking English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at Union County College’s Cranford campus, and said she hopes to enter the school’s nursing program next year.

Stephan, now 17 and a senior at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, said he was at home at the time of the earthquake and managed to run outside just before their home collapsed into rubble. His mother, Guegheling and younger brother, Jonathan, were on their way home and had to dodge falling debris, Stephan said.

Having lost their father in October of 2009 to cancer, the family was left homeless and slept on the ground in a park with thousands of other families. Fortunately for the Blancs, their uncle, Winchell Alce, had left Haiti several years ago and settled in Scotch Plains. When the earthquake struck, Alce worked with the Red Cross and Haitian Embassy to bring the Blancs to the United States.

Because of their visitor’s status, they did not qualify for any governmental assistance. Alce, who has a wife and two young daughters and works three jobs, was able to temporarily house the Blancs in his small apartment. He said, however, that his landlord told him the living arrangement was untenable. It was at this desperate time that Alce’s church, St. Bartholomew’s of Scotch Plains came to his assistance. The small parish elicited a church-wide donation of food, clothes and money, which has helped the family with rent and utilities for a small apartment in which they now reside. Guegheling has been volunteering at St. Bartholomew Academy since last fall, and has applied for a green card for her and her two sons that would allow them to stay in the country.

“Our faith calls us to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and shelter the homeless,” said Father John Paladino, St. Bart's pastor. “We have a family within walking distance of our church that has suffered greatly and is in desperate need. The people of St. Bartholomew parish have done much to assist the Blancs during their immediate crisis but, much is still needed to sustain this wonderful family.”

Paladino added that he and the family are working with an immigration expert and an attorney to expedite the green card application. “It remains slow and arduous, to say the least,” he said.

Nevertheless, Stephan has made an impressive adjustment to New Jersey life. Last spring, he made the honor roll and completed an Advanced Placement French class. He currently plays on the junior varsity basketball team and this summer, attended the Junior Academy for Law Enforcement Explorers. He attends regular training meetings with the Explorers at the Scotch Plains Police Department. He said his ambition is become a medical doctor and return to Haiti to help his countrymen.

“Everybody has been great to me since I have come here. I have been made to feel welcome at my high school, church and around town,” said Stephan Blanc.

Jonathan, the youngest at 9 years old, is attending St. Bartholomew’s Academy for free, where he is in the fourth grade. A gifted math student, he is receiving special assistance with language. Like most other nine year olds, Jonathan loves to play baseball, soccer and ride his bike. This summer, he joined Stephan at the Scotch Plains Police Junior Academy and received his first communion at St. Bartholomew’s this past spring.

The Blancs said they realize that a year later, things still remain extremely grim for those still in Haiti. About one million Haitians remain homeless or stranded in camps of varying conditions. Jobs remain sparse, violence is on the rise and rubble still litters city streets. Few buildings have been rebuilt, including the presidential palace.

“It is hard to reach many of the people we know,” Judeling said. “Communication is not easy and many of them have moved.”

Paladino expressed concern about the Judeling’s green card application. “It's really a big commitment on the part of a parish community to ‘adopt’ an entire family,” he said. “So much of what we take for granted is an expense. The parish has been generous thus far, however if they don't get [the immigration documents needed] to find employment, I am concerned that we will not be able to continue to support them as we are now. Any help from the community would be appreciated.”

The Blancs marked the anniversary with a combination of sadness for the past and hope for the future. But there is at least one thing about the northeast that Stephan can live without.

“I don’t like the snow,” he said. “I wish it would get warmer.”