Pope John girls team wins county title

The Pope John XXIII Regional High School girls swim team won the Sussex County Championships on Feb. 3 at Kittatinny Regional High School.

The Lions ended the season with an undefeated record and also brought home the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament title. With their narrow victory against Hunterdon Central, Pope John became the first Sussex County girls team to win the H/W/S title.

Pope John was led by new head coach Bianca Wargo this season. She was an assistant coach for the past three years and is a member of the Pope John Class of 2018.

Her previous experience with the team has helped grow the Lions program, Wargo said. “It’s definitely a different dynamic as head coach, but already having established the relationships I have with the team has really helped as I’ve been figuring it all out.”

After the H/W/S Tournament, junior Sofia Keller was voted Morris/Sussex Athlete of the Week in the New Jersey Herald.

She scored a total of 29 points in the tournament, with first and second-place finishes in the 100 free and breaststroke. She also anchored the Lions’ winning team in the 200 free relay.

“I’ve seen each of these girls grow as individuals over the past four years, and I couldn’t be more proud of the team we have today for their kindness and sportsmanship towards others,” Wargo said. “They’re attentive, hard-working and each one of them brings something different to the team that’s kept us going to get here and to keep going.

“They keep it fun but remain driven to achieve their goals. I’m so grateful for each of them and love working with them.”

Boys team was third

The Pope John boys swim team placed third in the Sussex County Championships and had strong individual performances in the H/W/S Tournament.

Junior Kai Batchelor won gold in the 200m individual medley at 1:55.76 and the 100 free at 47.04. He also was named the boys Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

During the meet, sophomore Hunter Gallo qualified for the Meet of Champions in the 100 breast with a time of 1:00.12.

“Kai’s a huge driving force in keeping the guys going and ready to perform their best no matter the circumstances,” Wargo said. “He’s incredible in the pool and this year he’s also qualified for Meet of Champions in every individual event but one.”

She added, “He’s been determined to make that Meet of Champions cut for the 100 breast, and when I saw he was ahead of High Point/Wallkill’s John Postma on the third lap, I knew he had it. The excitement of seeing anyone reach big goals like that is amazing, and I’m so happy for him that he’s achieved that goal.”