The Cinnaminson High School swim team started their team portion of the 2016-2017 season well, winning five of their first eight meets and going on to post a 7-4 record in the regular season.  Last year, the team not only made it to the playoffs, but won their first two rounds of sectional competition and this year’s team is looking to top that feature.

This year, the team is looking for more and senior Avery Mancine knows the pressure because he has been swimming all four years of his high school career.

“(My goal this year was) To improve my time and put my nose to the grindstone but more than that I hope to be a team player and propel our team into the playoffs which would be making history,” Mancine continued.  “We actually made history last year by making playoffs (for the first time) since the year 2003, but if we make the playoffs this year it will be the first time in Cinnaminson High School history that the swim team has made the playoffs two years in a row. So we have a lot riding on us.”

Just like they have been for most of the season, the team was led by senior stars Ryan Kay and Lily Black.  For example, in the team’s 123-47 victory over Holy Cross on January 11, the team was lead by Kay and Black.  Kay won the 100-meter backstroke and butterfly during the meet and Black won the 200-meter IM against all the boys.

In the team’s 101-69 victory over Delran last Tuesday, Black contributed as the anchor of the 200 free relay and starting leg for the 400 free relay, while Kay was a member of that 200 free relay and the 200 IM team.  But, it was Mancine’s two wins in the 100 free and 200 IM as well as his part on both of the same relay teams that Black was on that clinched the meet for Cinnaminson.  Freshman Jack Lilley and senior Jack Conville also won events to help lead the Cinnaminson to the victory.

Tomorrow at 5:40, Cinnaminson will host Steinert in the second round of the Boy’s New Jersey Central Group B swimming championships.  Yes, you read that correctly, the boy’s swimming championships.  Because Cinnaminson does not have enough girls to have their own team, our girls have to swim against the boys and will continue to do so tomorrow when they host Steinert, who narrowly defeated Delran 90-80 on Tuesday.  Cinnaminson defeated Delran by 30 and 32 points, respectively, both times the Pirates faced the Bears this season, so logic says that Cinnaminson should be a slight favorite over Steinert because Steinert did not defeat Delran by as many points as the Pirates did.

Regardless, the team will look to keep rolling and look to move into sectional semifinal matchup with Moorestown once again next Monday.  However, a defeat of Steinert must occur first.