Swimmer of the year: When Robert Spichiger was searching for a confidence boost for a trip abroad to compete in the Swiss Junior Nationals – the North Hunterdon sophomore holds dual citizenship, for the United States and Switzerland – he needed look no further for motivation than his performance in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions earlier in March.
At the state meet, not only did Spichiger achieve an incredible personal best, he made history for his school, as well.
The 6-2, 160-pound Spichiger qualified for two A finals at the M of C, a first for a North Hunterdon male swimmer, and ultimately placed eighth in the 200-yard individual medley (1:57.08) and third in the 500 freestyle (4:38.72).
Spichiger’s 1:55.65 in the 200 IM preliminaries was a personal best by a whopping four seconds. And that’s not all. Spichiger was also the second-highest placing sophomore at the M of C behind only Moorestown’s Alex Martin, who won the IM and the 100 backstroke.
“Believe it or not, I dropped a whole four seconds in the IM and did not expect it,” Spichiger said. “I was hoping I would final (qualify for the top eight). I was seeded 21st and ended up doing amazing. I was looking at the people next to me as I was racing and I didn’t feel good during that race, so when I got 1:55 I was really surprised.
“I made no A finals last year and one B final. To be in two events and A final both was really exciting.”
Spichiger also made an impact on the local level when he earned Outstanding Swimmer honors at the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Championships on Jan. 24. He won the 500 free in 4:42.84, an exceptional time for a mid-season meet, and he finished second in the 200 IM (1:59.03).
Spichiger acknowledged there is much room for improvement, but he also believes his talent for the turns already makes him a tough competitor.
“I’m going to keep up with the person next to me,” Spichiger said. “Some people are better swimmers than me, but I really try to work on my underwaters. That’s where I can get people. I consider it my secret weapon.”
Click HERE for the article in NJ.com.
