Bonac Boys Swimmers: League Runners-Up
Craig Brierley, East Hampton High’s boys swimming coach, will take a dozen of his competitors to the county swim meet at Suffolk Community College-Brentwood Saturday morning, the core of the squad that finished second to top-seeded Hauppauge in the league meet there last Thursday.
“Hauppauge came out on top [in the league meet] by a score of 282-250,” Brierley reported, “but because our boys gave everything they had — they posted 31 lifetime bests — they were able to hold their heads high, knowing they had left nothing in the water.”
“After the diving event [the fifth among 12], we led Hauppauge 110-99, which encouraged our swimmers, though they knew they had a lot of work ahead of them. . . . They showed mental and physical strength in their attempt to come out on top, as did Hauppauge.”
All three relay teams turned in personal bests, Brierley continued. The 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams were runners-up to Hauppauge, and the 200 medley relay team placed third, behind Hauppauge and Sayville-Bayport-Blue Point.
Ethan McCormac, who has qualified to swim in the 100 and 200 freestyle races at the state meet, placed second to Hauppauge’s Trenton Burr in the 200 individual medley, second to Burr in the 500 freestyle, anchored the 400 free relay, and swam the third leg in the 200 medley relay.
Other place-winners for East Hampton were Aidan Forst, who was fourth in the 200 free, Colin Harrison, who was second in the 50 free, Owen McCormac, who was fourth in the 100 free, Joey Badilla, who was second in the 100 backstroke, and Ryan Duryea, who was fourth in the 100 breaststroke.
The 400 free relay team comprised Fernando Menjura, Forst, Badilla, and, as aforesaid, Ethan McCormac.
Harrison, Ryan Duryea, Owen McCormac, and Menjura made up the 200 free relay team, and the 200 medley relay numbered Badilla, Jack Duryea, Ethan McCormac, and Owen McCormac.
Badilla was named swimmer of the meet by the captains. The Pierson freshman turned in lifetime bests in all four of his events, as a member of the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams, and in the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke. “He has played a big part in the success of the team this year,” Brierley said.
Hauppauge, as aforesaid, won the meet with 282 points, followed by East Hampton (250), Huntington-Harborfields (231), Sayville-Bayport-Blue Point (215), Stony Brook (119), West Islip (112), North Babylon (62), and Deer Park (61).
East Hampton finished the league season with a 6-1 record, bettered only by Hauppauge, which went 7-0.