Shawnee handles Moorestown, sets sights on Group B state final
Camryn Tilger of Shawnee swims in the 100-yard freestyle event during the South Jersey Invitational Swimming A Division at Gloucester County Institute of Technology in Deptford, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026.
Something has changed in the last few years and you can see it before a Shawnee swimmer even gets in the pool. “I think we’ve been really lucky with our talent,” Renegades coach Meg Warren said. “But on top of that, the girls have really built each other up. Their confidence, the way they support each other; you can just feel this wave of excitement every time somebody’s on the blocks. It really builds.” That excitement reached a crescendo at Gloucester Tech in Sewell, where Shawnee defeated Moorestown, 110-60, and accomplished something it has never done before.The Renegades are state finalists. They’ll swim against Chatham Sunday night at Rutgers for the Group B state championship. “I’m so proud of them,” Warren said. “To be able to do something that no Shawnee girls swim team has done before is really fun.” The Renegades were all smiles from the beginning, then. Maia Kaczur teamed with Camryn Tilger, Raegan Jacobson and Samantha Gatesman to swim 1:48.24 and take the medley relay by almost nine seconds. Tilger was back in the pool just a few minutes later to take the 200 individual medley; the start of the same double she pulled off in the South B final against Mainland.“My races went really well today,” Tilger said. “I think it was just the energy of the meet. I think knowing that states is next just made everyone swim so much faster at this meet.” Shawnee had a pair of first-place showings in between Tilger’s wins. Kaczur took the 100 butterfly in 1:01.33. “It was a good race for me,” Kaczur said. “I was just really pushed on by all of my teammates. I could hear them cheering me on. It really motivated me to try my best and go all out.”“It’s amazing . I’m always jumping up and down, screaming for my friends,” Kaczur said. “It’s genuinely my favorite part of the school year. It’s so exciting to be a part of something bigger than yourself and be able to cheer for all your friends.” Shawnee virtually ran the table after that. Gatesman followed with a win in the 100 freestyle in 52.88. Emilia Bonelli, Selah Bontrager, Ellie Walsh and Alaina Allbaugh-Heinz took the 200 free relay in 1:45.32. Walsh and Kaczur went 1-2 in the 100 backstroke, then Jacobson and Allbaugh-Heinz did the same in the 100 breaststroke. “Every single meet, we just have more and more energy,” Tilger said. “And everyone puts their best foot forward in every race that they do.” Moorestown, 9-3 this season with a pair of losses to Shawnee, put its own best foot forward, in terms of performance. “We swam really well,” Moorestown coach John Battersby said. “We tried a couple of things. We threw everything we could at the girls today to challenge them, and motivate them and make sure they competed. But Shawnee’s loaded. It’s their year and I hope they find a way to win one more on Sunday.”“The heart and the passion and enthusiasm that they had for each other and the program was contagious and it was incredible,” Battersby said. “Everything is special about these girls. They show up every day, they work extremely hard, they love each other, they push each other, they support each other, and it just makes for a special time of the year.”I've covered high school sports for NJ.com since January, 2024. I'm a graduate of Trenton State College and I've covered high school sports in South and Central Jersey for a little over 40 years. I've been...
Girls-Swimming Section:/Highschoolsports
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Group names Alameda one of the country’s most bicycle-friendly citiesThe League of American Bicyclists recently awarded the Island gold status for the steps it’s taken, safety and other features.
Read more »
Crypto lobby forms working group seeking prediction market clarityThe most recent news about crypto industry at Cointelegraph. Latest news about bitcoin, ethereum, blockchain, mining, cryptocurrency prices and more
Read more »
OTB Group Sales Dip 5% in 2025Net sales dipped to €1.6 billion, impacted by a significant drop in wholesale. But there’s growth at Glenn Martens’s Margiela.
Read more »
Group names Alameda one of the country’s most bicycle-friendly citiesThe League of American Bicyclists recently awarded the Island gold status for the steps it’s taken, safety and other features.
Read more »
Penn State’s Ryan Clanton on his young offensive tackle group, and a Lion to watchNew Penn State offensive line coach Ryan Clanton knows replacing veteran tackles Drew Shelton and Nolan Rucci will be challenging but he is extremely high on several young players at the position.
Read more »
Large group of supporters, small group of protesters gather as Trump visits GeorgiaLong before President Donald Trump stepped to the podium inside Coosa Steel Corporation on Thursday, a line had already wrapped around the building.
Read more »