In just two events, the momentum swung hard from Rutherford to Madison, and suddenly, everyone on the Bulldogs’ side — even head coach Steven Dunn — could feel the nerves creeping in.
This meet, which felt like was likely trending towards a fairly comfortable win for the Bulldogs, would now come down to the 400 free relay.
Rutherford held a 68-56 lead following the 200 free relay, but Madison completely dominated the backstroke and breaststroke, cutting the deficit to just two points in a 10 point swing.
Lilly Schirmer won the backstroke in 1:07.94, leading a 1-3-5 finish in that event. In the breaststroke, Aurora Klokis won in exhilarating fashion, edging Rutherford’s ‘A’ lane by just 0.87 seconds with a time of 1:12.17.
With Rutherford clinging to a 79-77 lead, the program first-ever sectional title, more than likely, hinged on a first-place finish from the quartet of Ava Berroa, Ella Marzullo, Isabella Bianco and Olivia Mendez.
Anyone looking back at the history of Rutherford girls swimming will be able to point to these four athletes as the ones who finished the job and helped Rutherford seal its first ever sectional title.
Berroa, Marzullo, Bianco and Mendez touched the wall in first place with a time of 4:04.65, securing an 87-83 victory in the North 2, Group C final. Madison secured second and third overall in that relay, clocking 4:26.83 and 4:37.35, respectively.
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