Eight-year-old Eddy Cho, a member of the Tenafly Swim Club, won three titles at the NJPMA (Bergen County) championships on Saturday, August 7, at Stony Brook Swim Club in Hillsdale. Ranked number one in the nation in his age group, Cho was victorious in freestyle and backstroke and butterfly races. Photo by Bill Allen-NJ Sport/Action

By W. L. Bill Allen, Jr.
Director, NJ Sport/Action

TENAFLY–  When you look at what the three Cho Brothers from the Tenafly Swim Club have already accomplished at their young ages as far as aquatics exploits go, it comes as no surprise that their mother was a South Korean Junior National champion swimmer thirty years ago.
At the New Jersey Pool Managers Association (NJPMA) championships, a week-long series of meets more commonly called the “Counties,” 10-year-old William Cho came home with two gold medals and a silver salute, while his eight-year-old twin brothers, Eddy and Andy, garnered a total of four first place finishes and a third place effort.

A member of the Tenafly Swim Club, William Cho, 10, finished first in both the Junior IM and the breaststroke and second in the butterfly at the NJPMA (Bergen County) championships on Saturday, August 7, at Stony Brook Swim Club in Hillsdale. Photo by Bill Allen-NJ Sport/Action

William finished first in the both 9-10 25 meter breaststroke (:19.47) and the 100-meter 10-and-under individual medley (1:20.80) and was the runnerup in the 25 butterfly with a time of :16.75.

Ranked first in his age group nationally, Eddy won three NJPMA championships by finishing first in the 7-8 25 backstroke (:20.17), freestyle (:16.48) and butterfly (:18.06) battles, while his twin, Andy, won the 7-8 25-meter breaststroke championship with a :23.11 showing and was third in backstroke at :21.25.
The brothers’ mother, Juya, who was a Junior National champion in South Korea at the age of 12 in 1980, is now the head coach at Wave NJ, a year-round club team which is based at the JCC in Tenafly.

Andy Cho, an eight-year-old member of the Tenafly Swim Club, garnered gold in breaststroke and bronze in backstroke at the NJPMA (Bergen County) championships on Saturday, August 7, at Stony Brook Swim Club in Hillsdale Photo by Bill Allen-NJ Sport/Action

“The key to high-level performance in swimming is consistency,” emphasized Cho. “If you want to be really good, you must practice each and every day and you must take it seriously and be as disciplined as possible.”

By Robyn Nadel

HACKENSACK – Bergen County Community Action Partnership (BCCAP), a 501 (c) (3), not-for-profit Community Action Agency located at 241 Moore St., in the city, announced that funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will contribute more than $1.3 million in additional federal support to provide vital services to Bergen County families. The stimulus funds have provided the expansion of both Head Start for 40 additional families, and the inception of Early Head Start for 72 families.

The Early Head Start Program, for up the three year olds, and the Head Start Program, for 3-5 year olds, provide comprehensive infant, toddler, and child development services to children from low-income families. They are child-focused programs that embrace the entire family.

“This holistic program includes education, health, mental health, social services and nutrition services for children from income eligible families,” said Head Start Director Nancy Griner. “Also, additional special services are provided for children with disabilities. We focus on the total development of the child, while creating a more stabile family environment.”

The BCCAP Early Head Start is launching a new Pregnant Moms Program made possible through the ARRA-funded grant. The program recruits income eligible expecting moms and offers health, social and emotional counseling and informational workshops that will help to ensure the health birth of the baby.

Head Start and Early Head Start applications are being accepted for September enrollment. Contact Pat Myers at 201-968-0200, ext. 7003 for enrollment information and applications.

Among the members of the Leonia Sea Lions squad who won races at the Bergen Six championship meet on July 31 are, front, eight-year-olds Brendan Russell and Frankie Gargiulo, and, back from left, Lucas Coyle, 11, Nolan Stendor, 13, John Om, 13, Corey Davis, 17, Alejandro, Hernandez, 14, and Shane Riordan, 14. Photo by Bill Allen-NJ Sport/Action

By W. L. Bill Allen, Jr.,
Director, NJ Sport/Action

LEONIA–  Powered in part by the Om brothers, the Sea Lions swim squad from the Leonia Pool finished a strong second at the Bergen Six League’s championship meet (LCM) on Saturday, July 31, on Leonia.

Maywood took the title by totaling 416 points, while the Sea Lions racked-up 324, followed by New Milford with 300.5, Oradell with 269.5, Harrington Park with 257 and Demarest with 236.

Among the locals’ leaders were siblings John and Joe Om, along with Corey Davis, Alejandro Hernandez and Brendan Russell.
A 13-year-old John Om garnered gold in each of his four races, as he won both the 13-14 50-meters freestyle (:26.35) and 200-meter individual medley (2:27.66) titles and was a part of first place showings by both the 13-14 200 medley (2:18.40) and free (1:59.25) relay quartets. Joining Om on those contingents were 14-year-olds Alejandro Hernandez, Nolan Stendor and Shane Riordan.

The latest edition of the swim team from the Leonia Swim Club is guided by a quintet of former Sea Lions standouts: Lindsay Root, Ryan McQuaid, Dylan Hawkins, Corey Davis and Patrick Ryan. Photo by Bill Allen-NJ Sport/Action

Hernandez also won the 13-14 breaststroke title with a :36.67 effort and secured second in butterfly at :31.25.
A 10-year-old, Joe Om finished first in both the 9-10 25 ‘fly (:17.37) and 12-and-under 100 IM clashes (1:23.66).
Davis, a 17-year-old swimmer/coach, won the 15-17 breastroke battle at :34.30 and was part of the first place 15-17 medley relay (2:10.63) and runner-up free (1:53.13) relay units. Joining Davis on both those teams were 17-year-olds Ryan McQuaid and Chris Bacchia and 15-year-old Fitzroy Walsh.
Russell, an eight-year-old, won both the 7-8 free (:20.69) and breaststroke titles (:29.90), while fellow eight-year-old Frankie Gargiuolo finished first in ‘fly (:23.09) and second in backstroke (:29.41).

“We’re pleased that our team did so well this summer,” enthused Sea Lions head coach Dylan Hawkins.

“Finishing second in very good for a pool like ours,” he expounded. “Maywood has a pool which outsiders can join, so they have swimmers from a few different towns, while our pool and team is for Leonia residents only, so we have a much smaller group of athletes from which to draw.”

By Robyn Nadel

HACKENSACK – Bergen County Community Action Partnership (BCCAP), a 501 (c) (3), not-for-profit Community Action Agency located at 241 Moore St., in the city, announced that funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will contribute more than $1.3 million in additional federal support to provide vital services to Bergen County families. The stimulus funds have provided the expansion of both Head Start for 40 additional families, and the inception of Early Head Start for 72 families.

The Early Head Start Program, for up the three year olds, and the Head Start Program, for 3-5 year olds, provide comprehensive infant, toddler, and child development services to children from low-income families. They are child-focused programs that embrace the entire family.

“This holistic program includes education, health, mental health, social services and nutrition services for children from income eligible families,” said Head Start Director Nancy Griner. “Also, additional special services are provided for children with disabilities. We focus on the total development of the child, while creating a more stabile family environment.”

The BCCAP Early Head Start is launching a new Pregnant Moms Program made possible through the ARRA-funded grant. The program recruits income eligible expecting moms and offers health, social and emotional counseling and informational workshops that will help to ensure the health birth of the baby.

Head Start and Early Head Start applications are being accepted for September enrollment. Contact Pat Myers at 201-968-0200, ext. 7003 for enrollment information and applications.