New Canaan’s spirited run has players, fans in frenzy
NEW HAVEN — Prior to Thursday’s State Open Swimming Championships, Greenwich coach Terry Lowe said his team had to produce a perfect meet in order to win another title.
Well, the Cardinals captured yet another State Open championship and they were just about as perfect as they could be in their coach’s eyes.
Seeing a number of its athletes swim faster than their seeded times and showscasing its trademark depth, Greenwich continued its reign of supremacy, winning its seventh straight State Open title and unprecedented 35th overall Thursday night at Yale University’s historic Kiphuth Pool.
Behind three-first place finishes and a wealth of top-10 finishes, Greenwich amassed 600 team points. Runner-up New Canaan, which entered the meet with 77 diving points, compared to 16 for Greenwich, posted 480.5 points, followed by Ridgefield (378.5) and Pomperaug (297). Fairfield Prep placed fifth in the team standings (293.5).
Greenwich entered the meet knowing it needed a supreme effort to keep its hold on the championship that its owned for years.
“We swam a great meet, the kids really finished it off with class,” said Lowe, who has guided GHS to all of its titles. “They just went after it and they got better and better.”
The Cardinals, who won the State Open with 487.5 points last season, regis- tered first-place finishes in the 200 and 400-yard freestyle relay events and the 100 freestyle Thursday evening.
“It feels so good to win the title again,” GHS senior Stephan Todorovic said. “This is my last year and it feels good to go out like this. All the hard work we put in throughout the season really paid off. New Canaan was a fierce competitor and I think that we really stepped it up and made sure that we finished the season
well.”
The meet concluded in fitting fashion for the Cards, as their 400-yard freestyle relay team of sophomore Nicholas Malchow, junior Mark Merson, Todorovic and junior Charlie Clark combined for a winning time of 3:08.05 (All-American consideration time). Ridgefield placed second in 3:09.14
“It’s exhilarating,” Clark said. “We came in, we knew what we had to do and we accomplished it very well. Everyone swa fast and it was a fun meet.”
Westhill/Stamford junior Ben Feldman and Ridgefield sophomore Connor Hunt each earned firstplace medals in two individual events.
Hunt won the 200-yard freestyle title with a time of 1:41.40. Glastonbury senior McAllister Milne placed second (1:41.55), followed by Greenwich’s Clark (1:41.92). Senior Jake Ritz of New Canaan was fourth (1:42.80).
“Charlie Clark in the third heat put up a great time and I saw that and the last heat was also really fast,” Hunt said. “I put my head down at the finish, gave it all I had and was able to touch first.”
In the 500-yard freestyle, Hunt registered a winning time of 4:32.24, while Milne finished second in 4:33.91 and Todorovic took third (4:35.20).
“I was definitely feeling fatigued by the 500, but I was able to swim my race,” Hunt said. “I was happy with my time — that was a best time for me. I was happy I was able to contribute to our team.”
Like the Class LL Championships, Feldman garnered the gold medal in the 100-yard butterfly and breaststroke. He touched the wall first in the 100 butterfly in an All-Amer-
ican consideration time of 49.72 seconds. Junior Patrick Colwell of New Canaan finished second (50.49) and Darien junior Connor Martin was third (50.89).
The 100 breaststroke saw Feldman take top honors by clocking in at 57.26. Cardinals junior Thomas Lewis finished second in 58.02 and Cheshire senior Joseph Cannata took third (58.39).
“It feels amazing to end the season with a near perfect record,” Feldman said. “I want to thank my competition again for pushing me. I am really happy with my times and I’m just happy I beat the people I have gone up against all year at this great meet.”
Greenwich held a 244-131 advantage on New Canaan through four events and was ahead 369-278.5 after seven races.
“We knew it was going to be close from the beginning and coach Lowe told us if we want to win this meet we really have to dig deep, give it our all and swim as well as we can,” Lewis said. “Everyone had a great meet and swam well.”
Clark gave the Cardinals 30 points by winning the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 45.88 seconds.
“We told Charlie, 45, you are going to do a 45, and he did it,” Lowe said. “He has improved his stroke and improved his walls and it’s fabulous to watch him swim.”
Pomperaug senior Billy Regan was second in the 100 freestyle (46.56) and Seymour junior Jack Crocamo took third (47.08), followed by Greenwich’s Malchow (47.15).
Greenwich’s other firstplace finish came in the 200-freestyle relay, where Lewis, Malchow, Nicholas de la Sierra and Clark combined for a time of 1:24.98. New Canaan was second (1:25.69).