The Mountain Lakes High School Swim Team Program is widely recognized for its athletic prowess, tight-knit community, and cult-like following. For the Lakers, team culture is most important. Knowing that you and your teammates have each other’s backs and are always “on the same page” is crucial to building a strong team connection, Coach Lesh tells his swimmers. This season, the strength and bond as a team have pushed the Mountain Lakes Swim Program to new heights.
Boys Season
With a record of 10-3-2, the Mountain Lakes Boys Swimming boasts an impressive and accomplished season. Led by team captains Dylan Ferdico (’20) and Luke Leshnower (’21), the boys started off the season with a tie against defending Morris County Champion Delbarton. Building on that momentum throughout the following months, the Lakers continued to dominate the conference. With overwhelmingly positive energy both in and out of the pool, the boys strengthened their bond and sense of community, even in the face of difficult competitors. “All of our meets, there’s always a little story,” says Coach Lesh. Their win over both Kinnelon and Montville High School was no exception; the tri-meet sported some of the loudest cheering in Laker history from both the boys team, girls team and the Nation in the stands. That same excitement was captured during the 2020 Morris County Championship when Liam Lynk (’22) broke the 100 breastroke record by .82 seconds, with a time of 1:05.05.
Seeded first going into the State Sectional tournament, the Laker boys celebrated a tie against Demarest, narrowly advancing to the state sectional final. This win was especially significant for the team, besting the defending champion team that beat them 95-75 in the Section Final just last year. Carrying that excitement and energy with them, the Lakers made history this year, winning the State Sectional Final for the first time in 9 years over Indian Hills with a score of 88-82.
The boys continued on with their season, reaching the Group C State-Semifinals for the first time in 9 years. The boys swam against Haddonfield High School, concluding their season with a hard-fought but disappointing loss. Their strength in competition showed itself in full force with impressive swims from sophomore Adam Lalani (0:49.98) in the 100 Freestyle, junior Luke Leshnower (1:00.36) and sophomore Liam Lynk (1:01.79 ) in the 100 Breastroke, and sophomore James Few in the 50 Free (0:23.99). The boys concluded their season with one last 400 Freestyle Relay, in which Preston Smith (’22), Ryan DeNooyer (’22), Luke Hayward (’22), and Dylan Ferdico (’20) narrowly beat out Haddonfield with a time of 3:36.21. Their positivity and determination in the face of intense competition is a testament to their bond as a team.
As the season comes to a close, it is likely that we will see the Laker boys continue to crush it in the future. With only four upperclassmen of twenty-two total swimmers, the opportunities for growth are unprecedented. It is likely that the boys program will only continue to grow and strengthen in the years to come.
Girls Season
The Mountain Lakes Girls Swim Team once again demonstrated their athletic skill and strength as a team with a fantastic season record of 12-2-1.
The Lakers began their season with a resounding victory over St. Elizabeth’s Academy. During the season opener, the girls built a positive and light-hearted atmosphere, cheering, and ‘hyping up’ their teammates. The magic ingredient for the Lakers is always expecting “the best out of each other,” Coach Lesh says. The fresh, supportive energy shown in this first meet set the tone for the rest of the season.
The girls’ meet against Morristown High School featured this energy most clearly. Determined to break their long-time rival’s 8-year winning streak, the girls filled the pool with deafening cheers and excitement. The Lakers set high expectations from the first race, with a first-place finish in the 200 Medley Relay from Mira Marino (’23), Ella DiScala (’22), Lily Hann (’22), and Elizabeth Tsang (’22). The Lakers made a surprising gain in points during the 200 Freestyle Relay, after Emma Devine launched the relay from fourth to third place, narrowly beating out Morristown’s B Relay. Strong finishes in the 100 Butterfly by Lily Hann, the 100 Backstroke by Mira Marino, and 100 Breastroke by Ella Di Scala secured the tie for Mountain Lakes. For Coach Lesh, the best part about the meet was not the score at all; the culture of support and positivity the girls worked so tirelessly to build was truly the most impressive aspect of the team’s success.
The girls’ excitement continued into their Senior Night against Kinnelon and Montville High School. They put this positive energy to work, cheering for the Laker boys in a close meet against Kinnelon, while simultaneously crushing their competition, with final scores of 55-39 and 60-34 against Kinnelon and Montville, respectively. The Lakers’ 200 Medley Relay (1:51.97) and 200 Freestyle Relay (1:45.00) destroyed the competition, launching them ahead of both teams. Senior and Captain Coco Fraser dominated the meet, with impressive first-place finishes in both the 200 Freestyle and 100 Butterfly.
Also seeded first going into their State Sectional Tournament, the girls once again bested Kinnelon in the State Sectional semi-final, with a score of 93-77. The Lakers prepared to face off against the formidable second-seed, Leonia, for the State Sectional title. The girls continued to crush it with fantastic swims in each event. Kaylee Smith (’20) and Lizzie Tsang (’22) secured first- and second-place finishes in both the 50 Freestyle and 100 Freestyle, launching the girls ahead of their competition. The Lakers secured their win in the 100 Breaststroke, with Ella Di Scala (’22), Julia Corbo (’21) and Elizabeth Tamarelli (’20) going 1-2-3. Coach Lesh emphasizes the improvements and progress made by those new to swimming: “You don’t have to be the superstar swimmer to contribute to the team” he says. Freshman Izzie De Fazio, for example, led off the 400 Freestyle B-Relay to close out the meet, making vast improvements since her first swim on the team.
Following their massive State Sectional win, the Lakers continued to demonstrate their skills with a strong win over Rumson-Fair Haven at Gloucester Institute of Technology, in the State-Semi Final. The girls began the meet with a strong first-place finish in the 200 Medley Relay with a time of 1:49.51. Rumson put up a strong fight until the end of the first break, after which the girls went 1-3-4 in the 100 Butterfly, 2-3-4 in the 100 Freestyle and 1-2 in the 500 Freestyle. Freshman Mira Marino (1:00.26) and Seniors Coco Fraser (1:03.63) and Catherine Tamarelli (1:06.47) dominated the 100 Backstroke to secure the win with a 1-3-4 finish. The girls’ strong showing against Rumson prepared them for their State Final against the long-time rival Haddonfield.
The girls have faced off against defending champion Haddonfield for 6 years in a row. The Lakers once again displayed the strength of their bond as a team, filling the pool with loud cheers and excitement. Starting off with a bang, the relay team of Mira Marino, Ella DiScala, Lily Hann, and Kaylee Smith broke the 200 Medley Relay record with a time of 1:47.42. Lily Hann continued to dominate the 100 Butterfly with a time of 0:55.64. Sophomore Simone Borin swam her best time, breaking 1:10 for the first time in her 100 Fly. Coach Lesh fulfilled his promise and did 10 push-ups on deck to reward both Lily and Simone for their amazing swims.
In the 100 Backstroke, Carla Larsen (’22) had a fantastic swim with a time of 1:11.40, a testament to her massive improvement over the past season. Though the girls did not win the meet, they continued to express excitement and energy throughout the meet. The girls simply wanted to make the most of this one last meet together as a family.
With the swim season at its close, it is certain that the Mountain Lakes Girls Swim Team will only continue to thrive in the future. The energy and excitement of this past season has brought the Lakers to new heights.
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