Masuk High’s boys swimming and diving team had quite a week with two wins in a three-day span, capped off with a Senior Night victory over Trumbull on Thursday.
Coach Jenna Manion noted the Panthers were missing some key team members, but that underclassmen stepped up and pulled off some big wins, leading Masuk to an 89-78 win over Trumbull.
The 200 medley relay (Jack McHugh, Will Hardy, Akshaj Yerragudi, Carter Adragna) took the first win of the meet with a time of 1.48.31.
Senior Brendan Kirberger swam the butterfly stroke in the 200 free event and finished way ahead of the pack with a time of 2.06.28. Shortly thereafter, Kirberger dominated the field with a win in the 100 butterfly race, finishing in 56.3.
Akshaj Yerragudi won the 100 free in 56.13. In the 100 backstroke McHugh took first in 58.18 and Hardy placed second in 59.27
Masuk hung close but trailed by four points for a majority of the meet. Heading into the final two events the Panthers needed to earn a pair of firsts and did exactly that.
Adragna swam a season-best 1.03.77 to capture the top spot in the 100 breaststroke race and Aiden Cammarano took third against a competitive field with a time of 1.12.42.
Things got loud for the meet-deciding 400 free relay event. The Panthers came through in the clutch as McHugh, Hardy, Kirberger and relay anchor Adragna came in hot with a first-place time of 3.45.86. Masuk also took third in the relay event with Aiden Rodas, Logan Singh, Jacob Zajac and Akshaj) helping secure the victory in 4:17.59.
An impressive win
Masuk was coming off an impressive 92-72 win over visiting Bunnell-Stratford on Tuesday.
In the 200 medley relay Thomas Rodriguez, Aiden Cammarano, Yerragudi and Julian Logan earned first in 2:00.49.
In the 200 IM Kirberger took first with a 2.09.35 and McHugh placed second in 2:21.46. Julian won the 50 free in 25.44. Brody Pierson turned in a fast time of 25.82 and Rodriguez finished in 27.09 helping set the tone for the second half of the meet.
Yerrangudi claimed first in the 500, making his final touch in 5.55.28.
Masuk won the 200 free relay race with Pierdon, Rodriguez, Singh and Zajac clocking in at 1:51.03.
In the 100 backstroke Masuk took the top three spots. Hardy won the race in 58.90 and McHugh finished in 59.58 followed by Rodriguez in 1:14.33.
Adranga ended the individual events with the fastest time in the 100 breaststroke race, finishing an exhibition in 1:08.46 after the team win was locked up. Masuk’s 400 free relay had the best time with a 3:55.29.
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