N.J. ladies swimming preview & predictions for 2026 convention championship meets

Championship season is correct across the nook.

This weekend’s Monmouth County Championships kick off greater than 15 county and convention meets that can happen throughout the state over the subsequent three weeks.

In the preview beneath, we break down a number of the greatest convention championship showdowns of the season—providing our predictions, evaluation, and a have a look at the groups who may make the largest influence.

Cape-Atlantic League

• Last 12 months’s champion: Our Lady of Mercy
• Favorite: No. 2 Our Lady of Mercy
• Contenders: Mainland, Ocean City

The Cape-Atlantic League Championships shall be dominated by Our Lady of Mercy as soon as once more this 12 months. Gia DiLeonardo and Rhiannon Stanker, two of probably the most adorned swimmers finally 12 months’s meet, every gained 4 medals and are in line for particular person gold medals this 12 months. Nora Sandy and Gianna Cook, who had been a part of OLMA’s profitable 200 medley and 200 free relays, respectively, are additionally again for the Villagers and have clocked a number of the convention’s finest particular person instances throughout a number of occasions. Mainland, off to a 4-1 begin, has firmly cemented itself because the second-best workforce within the convention and can attempt to get a number of swimmers on the rostrum, together with Ryann Lowry, Ella Wainwright, and Reese McEvoy. Ocean City misplaced three standout swimmers to commencement final 12 months — Abigail Hays, Ryan Cooke, and Rachel Stauffer — all of whom completed within the high three in at the very least one particular person occasion on the convention meet. Still, Melanie Gannon and Kate Elder can assist this workforce rack up factors and hold tempo with Mainland and Our Lady of Mercy.

Colonial Valley Conference

• Last 12 months’s champion: Princeton
• Favorite: No. 17 Princeton
• Contenders: Notre Dame, West Windsor-Plainsboro South

Princeton has undoubtedly confirmed to be the highest workforce within the Colonial Valley Conference this winter with a 4-0 file, however a convention title gained’t be a cakewalk with the way in which Notre Dame has been swimming. Notre Dame, which completed fourth on the Colonial Valley Conference Championships final 12 months, can be 4-0 and is coming off a powerful 99-69 victory over West Windsor-Plainsboro South on Dec. 18. And that win got here with out the providers of Bridget Lowery, a First-Team All-State choice and reigning state champion within the 500 freestyle. At full power, Notre Dame can hold tempo with Princeton within the workforce standings, particularly with the emergence of Mariia Chaikovska, Abby Bendas, and Maeve McGowan. Princeton and Notre Dame have put up very comparable energy level totals all 12 months, so their twin meet on Jan. 15 might be an indicator of who the final word favourite goes into the CVC Championships the next week.

Greater Middlesex Conference

• Last 12 months’s champion: East Brunswick
• Favorite: No. 9 East Brunswick
• Contenders: Metuchen, J.P. Stevens

East Brunswick is a lock to win the GMC for the fourth straight season. Top to backside, the Bears have expertise in a number of occasions and relays and are set to place up one other jaw-dropping level whole — East Brunswick scored 723 final 12 months. Katherine Kennedy is the reigning county champion within the 100 free and 200 IM, whereas her sister Kaileigh completed because the convention runner-up in each the 200 free and 500 free (5:13.18). Lainee Su is one other returning medalist on the workforce. Metuchen graduated two-time county champion Gianna Yip, however her youthful sister, Janice Yip, could very properly be capable to win a pair of county titles herself. Metuchen’s Lily Bohra is among the high rookies within the GMC this 12 months and shall be one other marquee scorer for the Bulldogs. J.P. Stevens shall be within the combine as properly, led by reigning 200 free and 500 free county champion Angela Zhou.

NJIC

• Last 12 months’s champion: Leonia
• Favorite: Leonia
• Contenders: Rutherford, Secaucus, Harrison

Is this lastly the 12 months that Rutherford will get over the hump on the NJIC Championships? It appeared like Rutherford managed to erase a lot of the gap between themselves and Leonia final 12 months, dropping 217-140 after scoring solely 89 factors the 12 months earlier than. Rutherford returns Natalie Hower, who gained convention titles within the 200 free and 100 fly as a freshman final winter, together with sophomore Isabella Bianco, who took third within the 500 free finally 12 months’s meet. Despite the promise Rutherford exhibits, Leonia has displayed a stage of dominance inside the NJIC that’s practically unprecedented in some other convention within the state—the Lions have gained the final 11 convention workforce titles. Former NJIC particular person champion Iris Kim is again for Leonia after lacking a lot of the 2024-25 season, whereas HaEun Jung, Cate Chang, and Erin Kim are among the many high swimmers within the convention.

Shore Conference

• Last 12 months’s champion: Trinity Hall
• Favorite: No. 6 Trinity Hall
• Contenders: No. 20 Red Bank Regional, Red Bank Catholic, Southern, Manasquan, Ranney

The Shore Conference stays some of the spectacular conferences in all of New Jersey swimming. Trinity Hall remains to be the category of the convention, however there’s a deep area of stable groups that shall be enjoyable to look at on Jan. 31.

Red Bank Regional has some critical expertise within the center lanes. Southern is the reigning three-time Ocean County champion and is competing for a top-three spot in South, Group A. Manasquan was a sectional finalist in Central, Group B, final winter. Ranney, regardless of being a smaller faculty, has a number of the finest swim expertise within the Shore Conference. Sophomore Ila Molettiere was final 12 months’s Monmouth County champion within the breaststroke and the Shore Conference runner-up in that occasion. Ranney brings again its whole 200 medley relay that gained the convention title final 12 months: Molettiere, Hope D’Orsi, Anna Haggerty, and Kylie Newton.

Still, no workforce has the form of high quality that Trinity Hall boasts throughout its whole lineup. No workforce has come near the form of energy level numbers they’ve put up this winter—3,169 versus Red Bank Regional on Dec. 8 and three,425 towards Chatham on Dec. 23. They gained the Shore Conference title final 12 months due to depth moderately than race wins, however this 12 months there’s an opportunity they may have a number of convention champions, particularly with how Erin Noble, Lauren Hanus, and Reese Biggie have been swimming recently.

Skyland Conference

• Last 12 months’s champion: Pingry
• Favorite: No. 3 Hillsborough
• Contenders: No. 4 Bridgewater-Raritan, No. 8 Pingry

We mentioned why Hillsborough was our favourite to win the Somerset County title in final week’s county championship predictions, and people causes additionally apply to the Skyland Conference Championships. Hillsborough is loaded with All-State and All-Conference expertise, with Emily Sudol, Dylan Briones, and Olivia Kay main the way in which. The Raiders have the flexibility to crown a number of convention champions—a recipe for achievement at a meet like this—whereas additionally getting a number of different swimmers to complete within the high 5. Bridgewater-Raritan is deep sufficient to maintain tempo with Hillsborough and shouldn’t be written off, particularly with the prowess of freshman Mila Daniels and confirmed veterans like Merah DeRosa and Claire Hegedus. Pingry, which is loaded with MOC expertise and historically has nice relays, can be within the combine.

Tri-County Conference

• Last 12 months’s champion: Kingsway
• Favorite: Kingsway
• Contenders: Clearview, Gloucester Tech, Washington Township

Regular season performances aren’t all the time indicative of what’s going to occur on the convention meet. Kingsway didn’t win the common season convention title final 12 months and nonetheless managed to win the general workforce title on the official convention meet.

So far, Kingsway has proven they’re greater than able to defending their convention title. Their 2,703 energy factors in a 112-58 win over Washington Township are second solely to Gloucester Tech for the very best whole within the Tri-County.

Gloucester Tech, led by Isabella Devito (200 IM and 500 free), is off to a 2-0 begin and has appeared just like the convention’s finest workforce to date, posting 2264 energy factors towards Delsea and 2731 towards Williamstown.

That form of output makes it fairly clear: once they’re wholesome, nobody within the convention swims sooner. Clearview has an actual shot to problem for the title — they’ve a pair of returning convention champions in Brynn Schiavo (500 free) and Allison Schiavo (200 free). Simone McGlinchey needs to be in line to win a pair of county titles to assist hold Washington Township aggressive within the workforce standings.