While a sixth state championship is within one victory away for the Bridgewater-Raritan High School girls’ swim team, this squad is special—win or lose.
That assertion comes from the high school’s New Jersey Hall of Fame coach, Chris Levine.
“The determination and resolve of the 2025-2026 girls' swim team have been unlike any other,” revealed Coach Levine, who is in his 15th season guiding the Bridgewater-Raritan High School girls’ swim program. He had served as an assistant for six years before becoming the head skipper.
This determined group of girl swimmers may also be remembered as the 2025-2026 Group A state champion.
Bridgewater-Raritan, ranked third in the state, will bid for the sixth state championship in school history and first since 2019, when it squares off against 10th-ranked Cherry Hill High School East in the Group A final on Sunday, February 22, at 10:30 a.m., at Rutgers University’s Sonny Werblin Recreation Center in Piscataway.
Bridgewater-Raritan improved to 11-1 and advanced to the Group A state final when it posted a 100-70 victory over 17th-ranked East Brunswick High School (8-2) in the semifinals on Thursday, February 19, at the Passaic County Technical Institute in Wayne.
Just after that meet, Cherry Hill East (10-3) punched its ticket to the state final with its 88-82 semifinal victory over 12th-ranked and host Passaic County Technical Institute (8-2).
The most significant victory during Bridgewater-Raritan’s ride to the state championship meet came when these Panther girls avenged their only loss of the winter when they knocked out their Somerset County rival, Hillsborough High School, 86-85, in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group A state semifinal on Monday, February 9, in Hillsborough.
The thrilling meet ended in an 85-85 tie, but Bridgewater-Raritan was declared the winner on power points, which decide tied meets in the state tournament. That provided Hillsborough (9-1) with its lone loss of the season and also signaled the end of its bid for a state title. Hillsborough had been ranked No. 2 in the state, and Bridgewater-Raritan was ranked 8th entering that meet.
This result reversed Hillsborough’s 98-72 victory over Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday, January 13.
“These girls have been dealt so many hurdles along the way. Injuries, illnesses, accidents, and a significant loss to a powerful Hillsborough squad back in January. Every single time, they have not only cleared the hurdles before them, but they have also come back even stronger,” Coach Levine said.
Bridgewater-Raritan then defeated another rival, 6th-ranked Westfield High School, 93.5-76.5, in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group A state sectional final on Thursday, February 12, to set up its state semifinal meet with East Brunswick.
On Sunday, February 22, at Rutgers, Bridgewater-Raritan’s girls’ team will compete along with the boys' squad in a double dual at 9 a.m. The NJSIAA shifted the schedule so the meets are completed before the snowstorm is expected to arrive Sunday afternoon.
Bridgewater-Raritan’s top-ranked boys’ swim team (11-0) will bid to win its fifth state championship when it meets rival and fourth-ranked Hillsborough (10-1) in the Group A final.
Coach Levine continued to admire the drive of his girls' swimmers.
“They have truly been battle tested throughout this state tournament and have proven time and again how unified, talented, and determined they are to bring home our school's sixth state title.”