The Bridgewater-Raritan High School boys’ and girls’ swim teams both captured the NJSIAA Group A state championships at the Neptune Aquatic Center on Wednesday, February 25.
This victory marks the first dual-sweep since the 2017-2018 swim season, in which both Panther squads brought home state trophies in the same year.
The teams have successfully cemented Bridgewater-Raritan as New Jersey’s swimming powerhouse.
The first-ranked boys’ team had a lot to prove this year. For a long time, the Panthers were known as being unlucky; they were always one of the best teams around, but they kept getting stuck in the playoffs and being overshadowed by teams like Westfield.
All of that changed on Wednesday, February 25, when the boys cruised past 15th-ranked Hillsborough High School, Bridgewater Raritan High School’s longtime rival. The Panthers swept them with a 102-62 win, finishing off the season with a perfect 12-0 record.
This victory marked the program’s fifth state title and its first since 2018.
Even for new freshmen on the team, the energy on the pool deck was unlike anything they had experienced.
Freshman Arsh Singh regards the atmosphere after the win.
“The win was crazy. We were all so happy, and we were on the pool deck for an hour after the win, just celebrating.”
Coach Evan Seavey’s team was dominant all year, seizing a massive 130-40 win against Ridgewood High School in the semifinals. After years of being just ‘one game away,’ the team can finally jump in the pool knowing they are the best team in New Jersey.
On the other side of the pool, the 3rd-ranked girls’ team completed the clean sweep by taking down 10th-ranked Cherry Hill High School East, with a scoreline of 102.5-67.5.
It has been a magical ride for the girls and Coach Chris Levin. They finished the season 12-1, with their only loss avenged in an 86-85 semifinal win over Hillsborough.
In the finals, the girls showed how deep they could dive by winning nine races and securing their trophy.
The 2026 title is the sixth for the girls’ program and their first since 2019.
The meet was supposed to happen over the weekend, but the massive snowstorm pushed everything back to Wednesday. The extra wait did not slow the Panthers down at all, though.
Having both of the teams compete together meant that the cheering was twice as loud, and the victory felt twice as big.
For freshmen who just joined the program, starting their high school careers with a state title is a dream come true.
Arsh talks about what this win means for him and the team.
“This marks the first win in eight years for BR Boys’ swim, and it gives us underclassmen something to aim towards upholding as we get older.”
With the boys’ team now officially ranked No.1 in the state and the girls’ team back on top, the 2025-26 season is one for the history books.
