Making a splash
Cumberland very pleased with fifth place at boys’ states
Both the local boys’ and girls’ high school swimming teams fared well Saturday at All-States.
PROVIDENCE — When the team placements were being announced at Brown University’s Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatic Center on Saturday morning, a hush surrounded the area congregated by Cumberland High head coach Rod McGarry and his finmen.
They stood not far from the starting blocks as the woman behind the mic counted down the teams and the amount of points scored, and McGarry tensed up, sensing a surprise.
When South Kingstown had been called the sixthplace finish at these R.I. Interscholastic Swimming Championships, then the inevitable came, senior captain Ian Zito exclaimed, “Wow! We got fifth overall!”
He immediately shook McGarry’s hand, and the chief responded, “That’s the icing on the cake, boys! Now THAT’S an allaround team effort.”
Indeed, the Clippers racked up 111 points, over
half belonging to two outstanding fifth-place relays, to take the fifth spot, just seven points ahead of the No. 6 Rebels and a mere 10 more than No.7 La Salle. CHS happened to lose to the Rams last week at the Division I state meet.
Not surprisingly, Hendricken ruled the roost with 384 points, while powerhouse Barrington notched second (334), Wheeler third (224) and Portsmouth fourth (136).
“These guys stepped it up big time in the relays,” McGarry gushed. “I was thinking we’d be somewhere around eighth given the lay of the land. After all, this wasn’t just D-I schools but also D-II and D-III. When she read off the scores, I thought we had finished sixth and I was going to jump through the roof.
“God, to take fifth, it’s just a testament to all the hard work these guys put in, and their character.”
Stated Zito: We got fifth at the Division I meet, so I figured with the other two divisions here, too, we’d lose to Wheeler and probably one other school. Wheeler did beat us, but we also beat one school (La Salle) had beat us at D-Is.
“I’m shocked; this is wild!” he added. “I expected us to do worse this year because we had lost some swimmers to graduation, but (freshman) Thomas Brennan and (sophomore) Aidan Ocampo stepped up and filled in great in the relays. I still can’t believe it.”
Sophomore Ian Hostkamp-Vinekar initiated the momentum after placing sixth in the 200-yard freestyle (1:47.70), and he also placed fourth in the 100 butterfly (52.08).
The tall, lanky Clipper had captured the D-! championship in that event last week, yet he couldn’t overcome the stellar outings of gold medalist Harry Homans of Barrington (new state record of 49.15); silver medalist Wesley Rea of Prout (50.80); and bronze winner Ean Kiely of South Kingstown (52.07, a hun- dredth of a second quicker than Horstkamp-Vinekar.
“I’m pretty disappointed with the fly,” he said. “I wish I could have gone faster; in fact, I know I could have, but those other guys really swam fast. In the 200 free, I also could’ve swum faster. The good news is our guys in the relays swam great.”
As for Zito, he helped out with a sixth in the 50 freestyle (PR of 22.61) and fifth in the 100 freestyle (high school-best 49.11).
That duo teamed up with Brennan and Ocampo to nail down fifth in the 200 freestyle relay (1:35.33), and the same quartet hustled to same finish in the 400 freestyle relay (3:29.66).
“That was their seasonbest time by five seconds,” McGarry noted. “The 200 free relay was a season best by two seconds. This is a great way to wrap up a boys’ season with a group of kids who, for 90 percent of them, this was the first time they’ve ever been here.
“We have only one senior, no juniors and the other 17 are freshmen and sophomores,” he continued. “The number of PBs that were recorded here blows my mind. The kids weren’t dropping, say, a tenth or two, but full seconds.
“For a young team to be asked to represent Cumberland High School at a state championship event, I thought they exhibited a great deal of confidence and poise.”
Higlighting Lincoln’s foray into the “All-State Meet” happened to be sophomore McGovern Brown, who not only placed in two individual events but also a pair of relays.
Brown took ninth in the 100 freestyle (PR of 50.73) and ninth in the 100 backstroke (lifetime-best clocking of 56.09), then joined sophomore Ben Goho, freshman Charlie London and junior Derrick Nault on the fifthplace 200 medley relay (1:45.66).
He also teamed with the same three to take eighth in the 200 freestyle relay (3:36.11) – and split a bestever 22.71 in that event.
“I would’ve loved to have broken 56 in the 100 back, but I’m thrilled with that time, too,” Brown stated. “I’ve always got next year; actually, two years to try to get faster. I’m also psyched about my 50.7 in the free. I’ve had a really good meet.”
Fellow Lion London managed 13th in the 100 butterfly (58.81), while Goho sneaked out a 16th in the 100 breaststroke (PR of 1:06.79).
Lincoln tallied six more points when the 200 free relay quartet of juniors Ben Weggeland, Brendan L’Esperance and Jack Charbonneau and senior Ryan Fleming placed 14th (1:46.17).
Mount St. Charles senior co-captain Zach Dubosky hasn’t received as much credit as he’s deserved over the past two or three years, so that will change now.
The devoted Mountie achieved a pair of lifetimetop clockings in the 200 freestyle (11th place, 1:53.32) and his specialty 100 butterfly (seventh, 54.03).
“In the 200, I didn’t know I was so close to my best time; I went out really fast, like, 53-low, but thhen I cruised the last 100, coming back about a minute,” Dubosky laughed. “If I had known, I would’ve cranked it up the last 75.
“I’m a little disappointed with the fly; I wanted desperately to break 54,” he continued. “I know I botched my first turn. I didn’t want to half-stroke it. I also split 22.71 for the 50 in the 200 free relay, and that’s a career best, too.
“I feel pretty good about this meet. All I wanted to do was medal, and the top eight get one. I got onein my favorite event, and I’m psyched.”
For St. Raphael Academy, sophomore Ethan Potvin grabbed 15th in 55:38.85.