Michael McCarthy doesn’t mind going the extra mile.
The Saint Augustine Preparatory School senior swimmer endures the grind of a lengthy commute to swim practices before school each day. After breakfast at home in Swedesboro, it’s a half-hour trip to the pool for Jersey Wahoos club practice in Mount Laurel before a 55-minute rush to school in Richland.
“Practice there is nine times a week,” McCarthy said, implying that his weekends are a time crunch, too. “I make it work.”
That kind of dedication has made McCarthy one of the best swimmers in the state. And on March 2, he was rewarded for it. McCarthy won the 500 yard freestyle in 4:29.20 at the Meet of Champions and earned his first individual state swimming title. He became the first Saint Augustine swimmer to win an individual state title since Luke Snyder won the 200 freestyle in 2016. McCarthy can add this accomplishment to the three team state titles he’s won with the Hermits from sophomore to senior year.
“I was really excited to get that state champ title after the team playoffs, and now this,” McCarthy said.
After qualifying for two individual events during preliminaries March 1, McCarthy could have taken the easier route and sat out the 200 freestyle to rest up for the 500. But that’s just not his style. McCarthy opted to compete his hardest in the 200 and took fourth place in the state, but perhaps used some fuel that would have been needed to break a record in the 500.
“It’s almost like saying, ‘Well, I could get a best time (in the 500), get a (4:25), or go for the record.’ But I think it matters more the fact that I got fourth in the 200, which isn’t even one of my best events,” he said.
That mindset is something the Hermits exemplify every team meet.
“They take everything seriously no matter what you throw at them,” said coach Nick Fondacaro. “They are really good at understanding their roles and knowing what they need to do. They know their assignments, and they swim hard every race.”
It comes second nature to McCarthy, as does his whole swimming background.
“I’ve been swimming my whole life,” McCarthy said. “I come from a swimming family. My parents swam in college. My sister [Danielle] swims at Towson University. I’ve been swimming since I could tread water.”
Fondacaro was introduced to McCarthy early, as he coached him at the youth club level.
“Honestly, you could see the potential was there,” Fondacaro said. “But when he was about 12, 13 or 14, he really took off. The stamina he has, you just don’t see very often. It’s awesome.”
McCarthy helped the Hermits win the Non-Public team state championship the last three seasons during an incredible 31-meet winning streak. But Meet of Champions individual titles are a rare feat. Only 16 (eight boys and eight girls) are handed out each year along with three relay events for each gender.
“This meet is awesome,” Fondacaro said. “It’s easier for me to focus on the kids as individuals rather than the team as a whole. I get to really pay attention. It’s awesome to be able to see them achieve things that you dream about in this sport. Mike is the first Hermit that has won in quite a few years.”
McCarthy will swim next year at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. “As of now, I’m pretty set that I want to go into law school after college,” he said. “So I’ll probably end up majoring in political science and minor in finance. I want to be a corporate lawyer. I’m pretty sure about that.”
His work ethic will never be in question.
“He is a terrific swimmer and a really good kid; he works hard in everything he does,” Fondacaro said. “It’s been great to be able to coach him. I’m sure he’s going to go on and do great things.”
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