NEW BRUNSWICK – Alison Barton called it “the scariest moment of my life.” That's how the Chatham senior felt Sunday afternoon as she watched teammate Keira Harkins swim the final leg of the 400-yard freestyle relay in the NJSIAA Public B finals.
The Cougars needed to win this event to defeat Princeton and win their first girls state championship since 2017.
While Barton was swimming legs, Harkins was pumping himself up. When Harkins jumped into the pool at Rutgers, she never doubted her outcome.
“It's definitely stressful being an anchor, but I knew I could do it,” said Harkins, who was in a celebratory mood with his first touch.
Chatham defeated Princeton 89-81 on Sunday to win the trophy and get some revenge against Princeton, which won it the year before.
“I like to tell myself I can do it and get overconfident and hype myself up,” said Harkins, a sophomore for the Cougars. “You can do it. You've got this. This is what we train for. … I saw the (Princeton) girl next to me. She put her head down and said, 'We have to win for the team.' I thought.”
The Chatham boys completed a three-peat by defeating Moorestown 106.5 to 63.5. Thanks to their enthusiasm and the cheering from a packed fan section, the Cougars' sophomore Gloria and Jen were able to stay ready even when they weren't feeling well.
Jen swam the anchor freestyle leg on Chatham's opening medley relay, but finished second in the 50-meter free. After a 10-minute break, she dove again and scored a fly “for her team and for herself.” Jen also anchored the Cougars' first-place 200 free relay.
Sophomore Madeline Crawford had four wins at the Chatham meet, going 1-2 with junior Molly Newman in the 200 free and 500 free, and wins in the 200 and 400 free relays.
“The stress was high, but I knew I wanted it more than Princeton,” said Jen, whose older sister Flora worked as a lifeguard at the Rutgers pool on Sunday. “I kept going on that drive. I wanted to eat more.”
The Chatham Girls are currently 62-4 since the 2019-20 season, with only their second loss to Princeton since the 2020-21 season. This is the Cougars' seventh NJSIAA title, including five straight from 2011 to 2015.
The Chatham boys have won 45 straight games and are 53-1 with three NJSIAA titles from 2020-2021.
Both Chatham teams dedicated their victory to the memory of 9-year-old Bailey Katherine Buell, who died of cancer last month. Bailey's parents, Daniel and Katherine Buell, founded Bailey's Warriors. During the state finals, the Cougars received temporary red, white and blue “I Am the Storm” tattoos, mostly on the chests for the boys and on their faces for the girls.
“It’s all a team effort,” Chatham sophomore Tillian Chan said. “We have depth and speed. Other teams have one or the other, we have both.”
The Cougars boys team started the Public B final by taking the top two spots in the medley relay, but didn't give Moorestown many chances. Tyrian Chung, Charlie Kulp, and Adi Katsumuri swept the Butterfly. Jack Bigham, Andrew O'Day and Trevor Leadon also achieved the same result in the breaststroke.
“It's a little bittersweet,'' said Bigham, who has played in all three state titles. “As a senior, this is my last game, but I couldn't think of a better way to stick with this team.”
Chatham 89, Princeton 81
Medley relay: Chatham (Avery Locke, Alison Burton, Kyra Harkins, Gloria Jenn) 1:47.67; 200 freestyle: Madeline Crawford (C) 1:53.22; 200 individual medley: Rachel McInerney (P) 2:09.12; 50 freestyle: Kylie Tangen (P) 23.7; 100 butterflies: Jen (C) 57.33; 100 freestyle: Tangen (P) 52.01; 500 freestyle: Crawford (C) 5:08.12; 200 free relay: Chatham (Crawford, Sarah Thomas, Barton, Jen) 1:39.75; 100 backstroke: Harkins (C) 57.38; 100 breaststroke: Nina Sagar (P) 1:06.43; 400 free relay: Chatham (Crawford, Look, Burton, Harkins) 3:4.09.
Team records: Chatham 13-0; Princeton 14-1.
Chatham 106.5, Moorestown 63.5
Medley relay: Chatham (Charlie Kulp, Jack Bigham, Ryan O'Day, Chip Powers) 1:35; 200 freestyle: Luke Mamma (M) 1:45.13; 200 individual medley: Bigham (C) 1:58.75; 50 freestyle: Powers (C) 21.97; 100 butterflies: Tyrian Chan (C) 51.99; 100 freestyle: Owen LaGrew (M) 49.02; 500 freestyle: Jack Culp (C) 4:45.02; 200 free relay: Chatham (Adi Katsumuri, Ransom Chan, William von Dusa, C. Kulp) 1:30.78; 100 backstroke: O'Day (C) 54.84; 100 breaststroke: Bigham (C) 58.71; 400 free relay: Chatham (Powers, J. Kulp, Bigham, C. Kulp) 3:15.85.
Team records: Chatham 14-0; Moorestown 10-2-1
