On Jan. 20, at the Skyland Conference Swim Championships held in Skillman, N.J., HHS boys swim faced its toughest test of the season: a large meet with several NJ swim powerhouses.

However, the boys put in a strong performance to garner third place overall at the meet. Scoring 135 total points, the team tied with Ridge for third place, while Bridgewater-Raritan was second with 242 points, and Pingry took home the crown with 372 points.

As has been the course for the season, Hillsborough’s biggest strength was its depth. The team only captured first in one event, but strong performances in relays and individual events helped accumulate enough points to place in the top three.

Senior Josh Franco achieved the only individual win for HHS, taking home the crown in the 200 yard freestyle in 1:43.49. This is only the latest win in a strong season for the NJIT-bound senior, and he looks to continue his success in the higher levels of state competition.

“I was extremely excited about competing in my last Skyland Conference meet for Hillsborough,” Franco said. “I knew I had to pull off a win to put a title under my belt and start the meet off right for our team.”

Other HHS swimmers who placed in individual events include senior Derek Kosydar, who finished in fourth place  in the 100 yard freestyle in 49.01, and junior Thomas Zdroik, who came in sixth in the 50 yard freestyle in 23.29.

Hillsborough relay teams also placed in three different relay events, coming in third in the 200 yard medley relay, second in the 200 yard freestyle relay, and second in the 400 yard freestyle relay.

Overall, the meet featured a strong team effort to place at a highly prestigious meet.