Historic Win: Ridge Girls’ Swim Team Win State Championship

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Ridge Girls’ Swim Team won the NJSIAA Group A State Championship for the first time on Sunday, by defeating Egg Harbor by 112 points to 58 at Rutgers.

The Red Devils started the meet with a one, two finish in the 200 medley relay. The quartet of Emily Thompson, Eszter Kiss, Kinga Kiss and Giulia Beverini won the event, with Victoria Doucette, Charli Geary, Amelia Ellis and Maggie Luo coming second.

From that point on, Ridge continued to stamp their authority on the meet, winning all but one of the individual events. Senior and team Captain Thompson broke her own team records in both the 100 fly and 100 back, winning both events. Freshman Natalie Hillebrecht won the 200 free and 500 free events, and Senior and team Captain Beverini won the 50 and 100 free.

Sisters Senior and Captain Eszter Kiss and Sophomore Kinga Kiss finished first and second in the 200 IM.

Beverini, Luo, Hillebrecht and Eszter Kiss won the 200 free relay, with the quartet of Higgins, Ellis, Ferraioli and Sammie Oei coming second. Hillebrecht, Oei, Kinga Kiss and Thompson took first place in the 400 free relay, the final event of the meet.

Parents, friends, school staff, the boys’ team and the Red Devil mascot turned out in force to cheer on the team.

No Ridge Swim team has achieved an undefeated 12-0 record and a state title in the same season and the girls join the ranks of only five Ridge athletic teams to achieve such an accomplishment.

Head Coach Melanie Dupuis celebrated after the meet saying, "I could not be more proud of the girls. They are undefeated state champions and the undisputed number one team in the state."

Ridge Girls and Boys will take part in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions at GCIT on Saturday, March 2 and 3.

— Ridge Swim