By Grant Playter
On July 25 the Sea Bright Gators and Monmouth Beach Bath & Tennis Marlins competed against one another in a meet for the North Shore League. Unlike a typical meet, however, these longtime rivals longed for something more than the victory.
“Every year we battle for the Silver Cup,” said Marlins swimmer Luke Zifchak, 15, from Fair Haven. “It’s a really important meet for us because whoever wins gets to keep it at their beach club.”
This year, after a fierce battle between the two teams, the Gators extended their winning streak, maintaining possession of the Silver Cup for the fifth consecutive year. The physical trophy dates back to 1965, the winning team recorded on it following each meet.
“It makes for a great meet and it’s a big deal,” said Paul Buerck, head coach of the Marlins. “And then we have a big nice party afterward.”
Kyle Williams, head coach of the Gators, concurred with Buerck’s sentiment, noting how much the kids looked forward to the meet.
“I have kids that swim for Sea Bright beach on my club team that asked me in December, ‘Coach are we gonna win the Silver Cup this year?’ ” said Williams. “It means the world to every swimmer here.”
According to Buerck,what makes the meet so important is that the teams are consistently evenly matched. Due to the manner in which both clubs admit members to their organizations the two teams do not receive many new swimmers each year. They typically have a similar number of swimmers, with the low influx of members keeping them relatively even in competition.
Additionally, the smaller membership of their clubs likely plays a role in establishing the notably tight-knit nature of both clubs.
“They’re just so pumped to see what they can do year after year together,” said Michelle Barber, a parent representative for Sea Bright. “It’s a really special bond that they have.”
Entering the meet the Gators were decked out in green and white tie-dye shirts, a longtime tradition. Per Ginger Mullins, 17, a team captain for the Gators from Rumson, they dedicated their entire Friday practice the week prior to making the shirts, a team-bonding exercise to tide over the eager swimmers.
“The Silver Cup is always really exciting,” said Mullins. “It’s the pinnacle of the season.”
Every swimmer covets the cup, carrying their own reason to win the meet. Red Bank native Will Smith, 17, a captain for the Gators, has been having his fastest year and wanted to push himself to see how fast he could go in the all-important meet.
“My brother did this two years before, and they won,” said Smith, 17. “I feel like I need to win and come home and tell him that we won, too. I wouldn’t say there’s pressure, but there’s a lot riding on this meet for me personally.”
There’s also Gigi Abernathy, 12, who comes back to Jersey every summer from Portland, Oregon to swim for the Gators over the duration of the North Shore League.
“I love the importance of it and how excited everybody gets,” said Abernathy. “The little Gators, they are so excited about it.”
Immediately following the announcement of the win, the Gators swarmed each other with such excitement one would think they won the entire North Shore League. Passing the trophy back and forth among both coaches and captains, there was an emerging energy that made the eager anticipation prior to the meet pale in comparison.
In that moment, these kids had won something more than one of their seven assigned meets, something more than the physical silver trophy. In winning against their biggest rivals, they delivered themselves and their families a victory in a game whose tradition dates to a time long before any had been born.
“It’s so special that they get to do this,” said Barber. “They’ve made the Gators such a family.”
