Sunday, February 24, 2013
Win marks school's fifth state win.
Christian Brothers Academy clinched its fifth state swim championship on Sunday with a win over Seton Hall Prep, according to NJ.com. The final score was 113-57 in the Non-Public A final at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, according to the report. In addition to being the Colts' fifth championship, the victory also marks the team's fourth consecutive state title. Coach Vito Chiaravalloti was optimistic in an interview with Middletown Patch before the state finals. "If I had to say what the meet will come down to, I'd have to say our 'depth.' Our depth will carry us through," said Chiaravalloti. "Rob Whitacre is one of the best swimmers in the state in the 100-yard backstroke and freestyle, and we have top guys and incredible depth in …
Thursday, August 23, 2012
The Fair Havenite and Olympian looks back on his experience and toward the future
With a heart full of gratitude, a carload of college luggage and his dad by his side, Connor Jaeger embarked on a familiar, typical journey back to college on Wednesday. It was the most ordinary thing the extraordinary 21-year-old Olympian swimmer from Fair Haven had done in a month-and-a-half, he reflected as the father and son team drove through the Delaware Water Gap on their 10-hour trek to the University of Michigan. “Yeah, it’s been a month-and-a-half of just hectic,” Jaeger said while riding, GPS sounding in the background. “But it’s been an amazing kind of hectic.” In the past month and a half alone, the 2010 graduate of Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School made the cut to swim the 1,500-meter freestyle on the 2012 Olympics team…
Friday, August 17, 2012
The Olympian swimmer was flanked by fans at a motorcade and after at the Fair Haven firehouse
"There he is! He's over theeeeere!," a thrilled pre-teen screamed as she saw Connor Jaeger round a corner to the Fair Haven firehouse to say hello to his supporters after a motorcade Friday night welcoming the 2012 Olympic swimmer back home. Heeding the alert, a group of kids tore over in the direction where they saw their hometown hero come to a stop to greet his fans, sign autographs and pose for pictures. "I never could have imagined this!" Jaeger's mom, Bernadette, said as she smiled while watching throngs of kids crowd around her son. Jaeger, a 21-year-old graduate of Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School and incoming junior at the University of Michigan, came in sixth in the world in his category of the 1,500 meter freestyle swim. …
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Fair Havenite and Olympian swimmer Connor Jaeger a hometown hero
"A great race for Connor ... So proud. Then a walk around Olympic Park. Fantastic. This is a great experience. Thank you Connor!" ~ Olympian swimmer Connor Jaeger's dad, via Twitter, on his son's race in the finals Saturday. Medal or not, Connor Jaeger is seen as a hometown hero. The 21-year-old graduate of Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School and incoming junior at Michigan University came in sixth in the 2012 Summer Olympics 1,500 meter freestyle swim category in Saturday's finals. He did not win a medal, but friends and fans of the swimmer could not be more proud of Jaeger's accomplishment, stressing that he's sixth in the world, with a time of 14:52.99, and the only American to qualify for the Olympic in the finals in his category. A…
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
The Olympian's hometown has organized a small get-together to watch Jaeger swim in the Olympics
It's an early bird special like none other. Fair Haven residents, and anyone else who has the early bird gumption to join them, are gathering at the Knights of Columbus hall, at the corner of Third Street and Fair Haven Road, on Friday morning. There, from 5 to 7 a.m., Jaeger friends and fans will watch Olympic swimmer and Fair Havenite Connor Jaeger swim in real time at the 2012 summer games in London. It was an event borne out of celebratory thoughts from several loyal residents, Fair Haven Parks and Recreation Director Charlie Hoffman said. "Admission is free; but we ask folks to bring a canned food donation for Lunch Break (in Red Bank)," he said. "People may also want to bring their laptops, as the race will be online." The idea to …
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Connor Jaeger's family reflects on support of a caring community
It’s a story American dreams are made of — a small town family watching their Olympian son and brother bringing his life’s vision into focus. On the cusp of seeing Fair Haven Olympian Connor Jaeger swim that swim of a lifetime, his family is embracing a searing sense of overwhelming gratitude: “So often the most joyous occasions in our lives are shared in small intimate circle of friends and family," dad Eric Jaeger said. "This experience which we are living through now has demonstrated the power and beauty of small-town America as the people rally behind one of their own. We are most humble and grateful for the love and support shown to our family. The words 'thank you' can not suffice but they will have to." Last week was the opening …
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Olympian's dad tells the story of the start of his son's journey in Part I of Patch's series on the young hometown sports hero
Glasses perched atop his head, Fair Haven Borough Councilman Eric Jaeger settled into his seat on the dais and looked over his meeting paperwork. It was back to ordinary borough business for him for the first time since his son Connor had accomplished the extraordinary — becoming an Olympian swimmer. A 2010 graduate of Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, the 21-year-old Michigan University upcoming junior secured his spot on the Olympics’ Team USA when he came in second in the 1,500 meter freestyle swim event on July 2. It was a moment the modestly proud dad described as a family state of mayhem-satiated shock. “Oh, we’re quite a boisterous bunch at these things; but we were in a state of shock with that first reaction to just jump up …
Monday, July 16, 2012
Congratulatory signs for Fair Haven's Olympics-bound Connor Jaeger found in Long Branch and Middletown
It's another sign of Olympian pride for Fair Haven's Connor Jaeger. The 21-year-old Michigan University junior secured his spot on the US Olympics swim team when he came in second in the 1500 meter freestyle race on the last day of the trials in Nebraska June 2. Since then, congratulatory signs have been popping up all over his hometown. Yet, this is the first to be seen outside of the Rumson-Fair Haven area borders. Jaeger was a lifeguard in Long Branch and his past guard colleagues there are pretty proud. They crafted a sign that is now posted on the side of the Long Branch Beach Patrol headquarters. And Olympic rings were added to the guards' duffle bags. And, a physical therapy business in Middletown just decided to get into the spirit…
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Patch has found more congratulatory signs of Fair Haven's Olympics-bound Connor Jaeger. Do you know of any others?
Since 21-year-old Fair Havenite Connor Jaeger found himself Olympics-bound, his hometown friends, family and strangers alike have been bursting with pride. Signs have been sprouting up in prominent spots all over Fair Haven. And, of course, signs of his success were most recently displayed on the marquees of his alma mater Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High and Knollwood schools. We also found one on Rumson's marquee and at Tavolo in Fair Haven. Patch caught shots of those signs yesterday and has been perusing the two towns for such signs since June 2, when Jaeger, on the eighth and final day of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Nebraska, came in second in the 1,500 meter freestyle swimming event and secured his spot in the sumer Olympics in London…
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
The Fair Haven native and R-FH graduate is a swimming success. Offer your congratulatory comments in the section below.
If you watched the Olympic Trials last night, you know that Fair Havenite Connor Jaegar has done his hometown very proud. The 21-year-old Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School graduate, and son of Councilman Eric Jaegar, made his final winning stride toward the Olympics after coming in second place in the 1,500 freestyle event. In the final event of the eight-day trials, the University of Michigan junior finished all smiles with a time of 14:52.51, his proud dad cheering on his Olympiad son. Andrew Gemmell placed first in the event, beating Jaeger by only 32 seconds. The two could be seen congratulating one another at the finish. Do you know Connor? Leave him a congratulatory message in the comments section below.
Christine Burke Eskwitt
10:19 am on Friday, August 24, 2012
Such a pleasure to cheer on such a nice guy. more ›