MONROE, CT — The Masuk High boys swim team followed up a 96-80 loss to visiting Brookfield on Feb. 15 with an 88-68 road win over New Fairfield to end the regular season, on Feb. 22.
The Panthers recorded numerous best times and added to their postseason qualification list as the South-West Conference championships fast approach.
“Brookfield was a hard meet to lose, because we could have won or tied it,” Masuk Coach Emily DeMace said. “We could out-swim them but unfortunately they beat us out on the small details that added up to a win in the end. They had really good turns and finishes. We still had some really fast, best times which is always a win for us in our book.”
Best times vs Brookfield (22):
Riordan 200 free
Maia 200 free
Hall 200 IM
Youngcourt 50 free
Pierson 50 free
Carvajal 50 free
Sawyer 50 free
Gabriel 50 free
Riordan 100 fly
Micu 100 free
Maia 100 free
Smith 100 free
Pierson 100 free
Clark 500 free
Ofori-Nkansah 500 free
McHugh 100 back
Hall 100 back
Carvajal 100 back
Youngcourt 100 breast
Urkawich 100 breast
Cross 100 breast
Cammarano 100 breast
The New Fairfield meet
Against New Fairfield, on “2sday,” 2/22/22, the Panthers did not have their best performance, DeMace said, but also avoided finishing second to close out the slate at 5-5 overall and 5-4 in SWC action.
The 200 yard medley relay team of Keller Hall, Owen Smith, Riley Sheppard and Kenny Clark was first in 1:51.96, edging out New Fairfield’s relay which finished in 1:52.16.
In the 200 individual medley race, Roan Riordan won in 2:23.38, just better than New Fairfield’s 2:23.92 result.
Clark was tops in the 50 free in 24.13, just beating his toughest New Fairfield competition (24.18).
Masuk had a close one-two finish in the 100 butterfly event as Sheppard won in 1:01.64 and Riordan came in next with a time of 1:02.72.
In the 100 free, Sam McHugh earned the victory with a time of 55.39.
Hall was the top finisher in the 500 free, making his final touch in 5:35.68.
The 200 free relay of Ryan Youngcourt, Ryan Kanjo, Tomas Mici and Alex Malecki was first in 1:49.96.
Masuk had the team win in hand and exhibitioned the final few events. McHugh recored the best 100 backstroke time with a 1:02.44. The 400 relay of Sheppard, Brendan Kirberger, McHugh and Riordan clocked in with the fastest time of 3:44.96.
Best times vs New Fairfield (11):
Maia 200 free
Riordan 200 free
Carvajal 200 IM
Smith 50 free
Dowling 50 free
Kirberger 100 fly
Maia 100 free
Hall 500 free
Pierson 500 free
Clark 100 back
Malecki 100 breast
A majority of the team has earned SWC/state championship qualifying times. “And also a very high potential to make State cuts at SWCs on March 4,” said DeMace, whose program will host the conference championships on the first Friday of March, starting at 5 p.m.
The following have qualified for SWCs individually:
Sean Cammarano – 50 free and 100 breast
Nick Carvajal – 50 free, 100 free and 100 back
Kenny Clark – 200 free, 50 free, 100 free, 500 free, and 100 back
Jack Cross – 50 free and 100 breast
Gavin Gabriel – 50 free
Jon Ganino – 50 free and 100 free
Keller Hall – 200 IM, 100 fly, 100 free, 500 free, 100 back
Ryan Kanjo – 50 free and 100 free
Brendan Kirberger, 200 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 free, 500 free, and 100 breast
Enzo Maia – 200 free, 50 free and 100 free
Alex Malecki – 200 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 free, 500 free, 100 breast
Sam McHugh – 50 free, 100 fly, 100 free and 100 back
Tomas Micu – 200 IM, 50 free, 100 free, 100 back
Joshua Ofori-Nkansah – 50 free
Trent Pierson – 50 free and 100 free
Michael Reilly – 50 free
Roan Riordan – 200 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 free and 100 back
Luke Sawyer – 50 free and 100 free
Riley Sheppard – 200 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 free and 100 breast
Owen Smith – 50 free, 100 free, 100 back and 100 breast
Jacob Urkawich – 50 free, 100 free and 100 breast
Ryan Youngcourt – 200 IM, 50 free and 100 breast
The following have automatically already qualified for States:
Kenny Clark – 200 free, 50 free, 100 free, 500 free, and 100 back
Keller Hall – 100 back
Brendan Kirberger – 200 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 100 free, 500 free and 100 breast
Sam McHugh – 100 fly and 100 back
Roan Riordan – 200 free, 100 fly, 100 back
Riley Sheppard – 200 free and 100 fly
