Prep extends state title reign

DIV. 1 BOYS SWIMMING

For St. John’s Prep, the tradition endured.

At last night’s Division 1 swimming championships held at Boston University, the defending state champion Eagles won their 12th state title in the past 13 years with another dominant showing.

The Prep finished with 271 points, while Lincoln-Sudbury (155) and Needham (139) rounded out the top three.

“The boys had a goal all year, and to see it come to fruition is special,” said Prep coach Tony Padvaiskas. “We really had some fun tonight because the boys just believed in each other and they all went for it. That’s what it is all about.”

In the 200-yard medley relay, the night’s opening event, the Prep’s Oliver Zmetrovich, Wills D’Angelo, Neal Mahoney and Mitchell Lockwood finished in a time of 1:34.46, matching the meet record set by the Prep back in 2012. Three events later, Lockwood took second place behind Wellesley’s Andrew Scherrer (21.63) in the 50 freestyle to add 17 more points to the Eagles’ total.

But the Prep was far from finished.

Zmetrovich shattered the meet record in the 100 butterfly, finishing in a time of 48.94, before setting a state record in the 100 backstroke with a blazing time of 49.20. And Lockwood added 20 more points to the total with his first-place swim in the 100 freestyle (47.08).

The Eagles closed out their big night with a win in the 400 freestyle relay as Zmetrovich, Neal Mahoney, Lockwood and Joshua Roberts swam a time of 3:09.56.

Other individual champions included Reading’s Kevin Spear, who set a meet record in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:38.61, breaking the previous mark of 1:38.66 set back in 2004; and Andover’s Zach Grover, who edged BC High’s Jared Daigle in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:51.53.

Grover picked up another first-place medal in the 500 freestyle, as the junior finished in a time of 4:38.31, just ahead of Reading freshman Scott Spear (4:41.77). In the 100 breaststroke, Chelmsford’s Aaron Zhu clocked a 58.20 to earn first-place honors.

In the 200 freestyle relay, Wellesley’s Daniel Scherrer, Calvin Isley, Andrew Scherrer and Richie Thompson won with a time of 1:27.70. ConcordCarlisle freshman Charles Reichle won the 1-meter diving event with a final score of 524.55 points.