PCTI claims 10th county title
WEST MILFORD. Both boys and girls swim teams win Passaic County championships again.
| 05 Feb 2025 | 01:54
PC1 Michael DeMarco of West Milford slaps the pool after a closely contested race in the 400 freestyle relay at the Passaic County Coaches Association meet. He swims for Passaic County Technical Institute, which won its 10th consecutive county title. (Photo provided)
PC2 Members of the Passaic County Technical Institute swim teams hold the Passaic County Coaches Association championship banner. (Photos provided)
PC3 Senior swim team captains Tyler Roer, left, and Michael DeMarco celebrate their victory in the 2025 Passaic County meet.
From left are Tristan Roer, Tyler Roer, Michael DeMarco and Elliana Macaluso.
The Passaic County Technical Institute (PCTI) boys swim team recently won its 10th consecutive Passaic County title while the girls team won its seventh in a row.
Tyler Roer, a senior team captain and resident of High Crest Lake in West Milford, won three individual titles, taking the all-time PCTI lead in county boys meet victories with 12 and the second-most all-time number in the history of the county meet.
The PCTI girls defeated Wayne Hills, which placed second. Wayne Hills’ team is coached by Mike Shale, a West Milford resident.
Junior Elliana Macaluso of West Milford is a member of the PCTI girls team.
“This may be the strongest team we have had in years, maybe ever,” she said. “We are hoping to have a good run in the post-season and ... give our coach her first state championship.”
Before the county meet, the PCTI boys team had been in a rebuilding mode.
“We knew we had to step up and motivate the guys,” said Roer, who was named Big North Swimmer of the Week for Jan. 8-14. “Most of the team has only known winning and with great leaders having graduated, it was time for us to set the expectations.”
Michael DeMarco, also a senior captain from High Crest Lake, was part of the 400 relay team that defeated Wayne Valley in the county meet.
“I knew their anchor was fast, but there was no way I was going to lose this race. I had to give everything I had right to the wall, and once I touched, I knew we had it- it was awesome,” he said.
League championships
PCTI swimmers also took home titles for both the boys and girls teams in the Big North Patriot League championship meet.
A strong performance by the Lakeland/West Milford team, led by sophomore Nate Schouten, helped secure third-place finishes in both divisions.
Also swimming for Lakeland/West Milford are Ethan Biedenkapp, Ben Lighty, Liam Batista, Jacob Price, Nicholas Locke, Matteo Macaluso, Avery Mett, Mia Church, Kayleigh Kaminskyj, Kelsey Kaminskyj, Molly Kane, Isabella Miegoc, Della Martin, Irelynn Simm, Maeve Stillman and Madelyn Stillman.
Tristan Roer joins Tyler Roer, DeMarch and Macaluso on the PCTI team.