The Bobcat Swim Team is having another solid year, already off to a very respectable 7-3-1 record. Winning 2 out of the last 3 Duel Meets, Coach Daniel has the team in great shape as the HCPS Tournament draws closer. The Bobcats, led by Seniors Ben Barsam, Macey Nitchie, and Mike Koscinski, look to continue their success throughout the remainder of the season.

Mike Koscinski, one of Bel Air’s top performers, is impressed with the team’s accomplishments thus far, and expects to finish out the season strong. “So far this season, we’ve had some great meets and a lot of [personal] best times, to the point where we have a lot of potential to make a lot of noise at the county, regional, and even state championships in the coming weeks”, Koscinski stated.

On Jan. 10, 2014, the Bobcat Swim team took on Fallston and Edgewood in a Duel Meet at Edgewood Middle School. Bel Air claimed victory, with both boys and girls dominating the competition. Ben Barsam took the Boys’ 100 Yard Butterfly with an impressive time of 59.71 seconds. Macey Nitchie took the Girls’ 100 Yard Butterfly, also with a very impressive time of 59.38. Bel Air also took the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay, in both the Boys and Girls competitions. The boys – James Cousler, Jake Carter, Ben Barsam and Mike Koscinski – edged Fallston with a time of 1:41.08. The girls – Madelynn Dougherty, Lauren St. Pierre, Tabitha Cousler, and Macey Nitchie – cruised to victory with a time of 1:54.33.

On Jan. 13, 2014, the Bobcat Swim team took on Patterson Mill and Havre de Grace in another Duel Meet taking place at Magnolia Middle School.  This meet was a tough loss for Bel Air, but the Bobcats didn’t do go out without a fight. Bel Air took 1^st in the Boys 200 Yard IM, with Jake Carter posting the top time of 2:24.41. Mike Koscinski took the win in the Boys 50 Yard Free, with a time of 23.21. Bel Air also swept the 400 Yard Free Relay, the boys with a time of 3:51.50, and the girls at 4:14.61.

The most recent Duel Meet was Jan. 15, 2014, as Bel Air lined up against Edgewood and Aberdeen at Edgewood Middle School. The Bobcats dominated the competition, taking 1^st place in 22 out of 30 heats, a very strong overall showing for Bel Air, as everyone contributed to an impressive victory. Most notably, Jake Carter, James Cousler, Ben Barsam, and Mike Koscinski won the Boys 400 Yard Free Relay, blowing away the competition and taking victory by nearly 22 seconds.

The next meet for Bel Air will take place on Jan. 23 at Magnolia Middle School at 5:45 P.M. Come out and support your Bobcat Swimming Team as they continue their strong season!