Lower Cape May Regional tops Sterling to win South Jersey Group C, falls in quarterfinal
WILDWOOD CREST — The Caper Tiger swimmers accomplished something no other Lower Cape May Regional High School swim team had done — winning a sectional playoff meet.
The Caper Tigers beat Sterling 101-69 in the opening round of the South Jersey Group C sectional tournament Feb. 3 before falling to Woodstown in the quarterfinals three days later.
“It was exciting that it happened and for the team to get recognition in the school,” said head coach Brittany O’Donnell, who had looked back in school history and found out an LCMR swim team had never won a playoff meet. She noted her coaching predecessor and the athletic director confirmed it.
The victory came when the team hosted Sterling at the Von Savage Memorial Pool in Wildwood Crest.
“I think it felt good for the the kids to celebrate,” she added. “I went to the basketball game afterward and they announced it there, which was great for the kids because everyone was congratulating them. You know, it’s always nice to get some positive recognition.”
During her tenure as coach, the LCMR swimmers went to the playoffs only twice, including two years ago when they lost to eventual Group C champion Woodstown. Before that the team lost to Middle Township in the sectionals and prior to that did not make the playoffs.
LCMR has a co-ed team, which competes in the boys sectionals. There had been separate small boys and girls teams in the past but declining numbers prompted the school to combine them.
This season the team finished with a respectable 7-4 record and was 5-1 in the United Conference of the Cape-Atlantic League. The team was the No. 5 seed in the tournament. Woodstown is No. 4.
In the 95-75 quarterfinal loss to Woodstown, LCMR got off to a good start with Joseph Cannavo, Giacomino Ruff, Eddie Fucci and Colin McAnaney winning the opening 200 medley relay in a time of 1 minute, 56.91 seconds.
Woodstown took most of the first places from there on out. Ruff, however, won two individual races, the 500 freestyle in 5:39.13 and 100 breaststroke in 1:12.43.
O’Donnell had good numbers come out for the team this year but will be losing eight seniors to graduation, including Sam Benigno, Tran Nguyen, Kaitlyn Flynn, Fucci, Ryan Gibson, Drew Kronemeyer, Bronson Goodavage, Kallen Garagozzo and McAnaney.
She singled out the efforts of Kronemeyer, Fucci and Garagozzo this season.
“Drew Kronemeyer is always one that stands out for me because he,s grown so much,” she said. “He never swam before, so where he’s come from his freshman year to now is just remarkable. Part of that comes from his best friend Eddie Fucci, who joined the swim team last year. He kind of pushed him in the offseason. Drew was a November-to-February swimmer for his freshman and sophomore years and coming into his junior year he got in the pool more with Eddie. The work they put in in the off-season just showed them what they can do.”
She said they both qualified for the Cape-Atlantic League meet and were able to go out with the best times.
O’Donnell said Garagozzo also was a four-month swimmer — unlike some competitive swimmers who compete with clubs year-round — and earned some big first-place finishes for the Caper Tigers this year.
“I think they surprise themselves about where they’ve come from their freshman year,” she added.
The coach said her team has been a rambunctious bunch with big personalities that keep practices entertaining and the coaches on their toes, but remain respectful.
O’Donnell is going to feel the loss of the seniors because six of them dominated the scoring. She is hoping the team’s success this season will encourage new swimmers to come out.
LCMR 101, Sterling 69
Jospeh Cannavo, Alana Wright, Eddie Fucci and Colin McAnaney won the opening 200 medley relay in a time of 2:01.74 to start things off right for the Caper Tigers. Sterling took second and third.
Kallen Garagozzo added another win in the 200 freestyle with teammates Bronson Goodavage third and Maria Groetsch fifth. Garagozzo’s winning time was 2:11.11.
Sterling’s Reagan Sheehan won the 200 individual medley in 2:29.39, but Caper Tigers AJ Granero and Kaitlyn Flynn were second and fourth.
Drew Kronemeyer won the 50 freestyle in 24.21 seconds with Caper Tiger teammates McAnaney and Johnny Montgomery fourth and fifth.
Fucci (1:01.83), Cannavo and Flynn finished first, third and fifth in the 100 butterfly to extend their team’s lead.
Kronemeyer added another individual win in the 100 freestyle in 53.43 seconds with Garagozzo second and Goodavage fifth.
LCMR’s Giacomino Ruff won the 500 freestyle in 5:46.30.
Fucci, Conley Ryan, Garagozzo and Kronemeyer combined to win the 200 freestyle relay in a time of 1:42.02 and teammates Wright, Montgomery, Stephen Luther and Goodavage finished third.
Cannavo (1:05.86) and Granero went 1-2 in the 100 backstroke and teammate Reilly Satt was fourth.
Sterling’s Sheehan won the 100 breaststroke with Ruff and Wright second and fifth for the Caper Tigers.
LCMR wrapped up the meet by taking first and third in the 400 freestyle relay.
Fucci, Garagozzo, Cannavo and Kronemeyer won in 3:56.93 and McAnaney, Flynn, Granero and Goodavage were third.
By DAVID NAHAN/Cape May Star and Wave