It all came down to the last relay. The meet was within 10 points which only made the Westfield and Cherry Hill East fans roar louder, hanging over the bleachers of the Rutgers arena. As the siren sounded, the swimmers dove into the pool and the race for the state title commenced. The Blue Devils were able to find the grit to muscle their way to the finish line and leave Cherry Hill East in the dust.
The top seed in the state tournament, Westfield, continued to uphold its prestigious reputation in the high school swimming bracket and added another to its filled resume on Sunday, taking down rival Cherry Hill East at Rutgers University to secure their second state championship in a row.
The Blue Devils have always carried a contentious rivalry with Cherry Hill East, starting when they first met in the state championship years ago. This meant that throughout the meet, every race mattered. Westfield sent a message with the first event of the day, the 200 medley relay. The Blue Devils finished first and third, putting them up by ten points after only one event. Even when the meet grew closer they were able to hold on to this lead until the end.
The Blue Devils have had an extremely successful season and spent every match thinking about this moment. “It’s been a year long of preparation for this, and obviously, we knew it was likely we would see [Cherry Hill] again for the second year in a row. The boys have been working all year to prepare, and as expected, Cherry Hill did bring out their best, but it always brings out the best in us, and we responded,” said head coach Jeff Knight.
The teams met for the third straight time and stepping into the Rutgers arena, both knew exactly what they were up against. Junior Duke commit Owen Waibel was the largest contributor to the team, being a part of four victories throughout the day. He captured first in the 50 freestyle at 21.20 seconds and 100 free in 47.25 seconds. Waibel also led his relay teams in the 200 medley relay along with junior Danny Pierce, sophomore Dylan Lagrimas and junior Logan Swenson in 1:35.02. “We needed to defend our title from last year so there was a little bit extra for us. We knew the stakes were high, and everyone just came out and delivered,” said Waibel.
Pierce had a first-place finish in the backstroke in 51.07 seconds, and Lagrimas took first in the 100 breast in 59.80 seconds. Westfield dominated the scoreboard, and despite the close match, the Blue Devils had an energy and determination that Cherry Hill East could not match.
The most important points for Westfield, however, came in the second and third place finishes, pushing Cherry Hill out of invaluable points. In the 200 freestyle relay Swenson and fellow junior Hudson Wilcomes led off their relays finishing second and third, respectively, ultimately gaining points on Cherry Hill from this relay.
Another contributor for Westfield was senior captain Charlie Jeckell. “Winning back to back championships is an amazing feeling, and it’s nothing without this team. Being with them everyday, I couldn’t ask for anything better than the last 4 years. It’s truly the best feeling I could ask for,” said Jeckell.
As part of the celebration, head coach Jeff Knight backflipped into the pool and was followed by a wave of his swimmers holding the new trophy they would add to their collection. “It’s all about the kids. These guys, they earned this, and they put a lot of effort into it. It’s a testament to the culture that we have and the hard work these guys are willing to put in,” said Knight. Each and every swimmer had a part to play during the championship and delivered on every occasion.
The Blue Devils had another historic season and executed the expectation of the culture and tradition they have created. Led by senior captains Jeckell, Danny McGann, and Ben Nematadzira, Westfield has solidified themselves in the history books as champions.
