HAMMONTON—The Hammonton Stingrays hosted the Elmer Sharks on July 10 in their final home meet of the 2021 Suburban Swim Association season.
Despite having just 65 swimmers compared to more than 100 for Elmer, the Stingrays swam well in a 392-170 loss, earning seven first place finishes in individual races and five relay wins.
“It’s been tough for us because the schedule changed this year and we’re competing against some of the bigger clubs,” Stingrays league representative Shawn McCloud said.
Last week, former Stingrays coach Molly DeNucci returned to the pool to honor a pair of the team’s recent high school graduates, Analiese Bova and Dominic Mazza at the final home meet of their careers.
Mazza is completing his 13th season with the program and Bova is finishing her 14th season while also serving as the Stingrays’ assistant coach.
Both swimmers served as honorary co-head coaches for last week’s meet. Mazza and Bova have also both been recipients of the team’s esteemed Annamae Jacobs Memorial Award, which recognizes their outstanding commitment to the sport of swimming and dedication and loyalty to the swim team.
Bova graduated from Atlantic County Institute of Technology last month and will be attending Atlantic Cape Community College on a full scholarship. Mazza is a recent graduate of St. Augustine Prep, and will attend LaSalle University on both an academic and athletic scholarship.
In last week’s meet, 51 Stingrays swimmers saw their times improve in 90 individual events. Grace Gribbin won three events, while Isabella Falciani, Kellen Frankel, Shayne Herbert and Everly Husta also posted individual wins.
Gribbin won the 11-12 100 individual medley with a time of 1:40.58, and also had victories in the 50 freestyle (38.25 seconds) and 50 butterfly (45.18 seconds).
Falciani won the 11-12 50 breaststroke in 50.19 seconds, and Frankel was first in the 8 and under 25 backstroke, finishing the race in 28.74 seconds.
Herbert won the 13-14 50 breaststroke in 43.63 seconds, while Husta won the 8 and under 25 freestyle in 21.10 seconds.
In the 8 and under medley relay, Hammonton’s Everly Husta, Guinevere Rizzo, Dominic Cushinotto and Brynn Gribbin won in 1:55.97.
The 11-12 medley relay team of Casey Shulz, Isabella Falciani, Grace Gribbin and Ella Wilson won in 3:17.50, and the 15-18 200 medley relay team of Analiese Bova, Mary Elton, Glyza Canovas and Lauren Wines won with a time of 2:37.78.
In freestyle relays, Hammonton’s 11-12 team of Kayla Cushinotto, Adeline Rizzo, Elaina Chesebro and Isabella Falciani won with a time of 3:04.82, and the 8 and under 100 team of Kellen Frankel, Brennen Kiss, Leo Murphy and Dominic Cushinotto won inn 2:01.46.
Second place finishers for the Stingrays included Giovanni Catania, Kyle Muller, Domninic Cushinotto, Harrison Kiss, Glyza Canovas, Nina Rizzotte, Brennen Kiss, Jordan Fatato, Bryan Falciani, Grace Gribbin, Billy Nees, Adriel Montecillo, Leo Murphy, Jesse Herbert, Morgan Rizzo, Lauren Wines, Vera Birnbaum, Kellen Frankel and Kayla Cushinotto.
Jordan Fatato, Joey Zingrone, Evan Kiss, Isabella Mazzochette, Glyza Canovas, Leo Murphy, Jesse Herbert, Alex Nees, Morgan Rizzo, Andrew Pyfrin, Mary Elton, Tara McGahee, Casey Shulz, Isabelle McCloud, Harrison Kiss, Analiese Bova, Guinevere Rizzo, Kendall Husta, Ella Wilson and John Paul Mazza each had third-place finishes in individual races.
Hammonton finishes the summer season by competing on the road the next two Saturdays against the Gloucester City Stingrays on July 17th and against the Collingswood Marlins on July 24.