The boys swim team came into the 2023-24 season with the highest expectations possible. Losing some of their strongest swimmers in the 2023 senior class, a repeat state championship did not only look like a distant goal but something that would require a near-perfect season to execute.
From the start Westfield wanted to make it clear they were much more than a few graduates. In their opening performance, the boys swept Governor Livingston by taking a 102-68 win. They needed to take a stand early and reinforce their strengths as a unit.
Senior captain Danny McGann commented, “The added pressure helped us. I think we are a team that responds well to pressure, and we welcome it and enjoy it. We enjoy having a target on our back as the number one team coming back. I think it just set the standard for what we need to do this season.”
Scotch Plains-Fanwood is always a lively meet. Although the score was not close, this year, the boys celebrated by receiving their state championship rings with their alumni there to watch.
The rest of Westfield’s season consisted of pure domination. Their first test of any sort came against Summit, and after a few tight relays, the boys pulled away with no issue. The boys were able to bring the energy against a powerful Bergen Catholic team and proved that their energy and comradery was a huge asset.
Head coach Jeff Knight knows that his team is a unit through and through. It really shined through during meets: “They are also committed to each other. I know that each of them will give every last bit of themselves for their teammates. They work hard during the season, but they also put the time in prior to the season so they can be at their best all season long.”
By the time the Union County Tournament rolled around, the boys had maintained an undefeated season.
And the UCT would not be the end of their hot streak. That day, the boys scored 462 points with their closest competitors being 163 points behind.
After the UCT, the boys had a week-long break before facing off in sectionals. Breezing through their sectional semifinal against Colombia, the boys had a lot to prepare before they faced their next matchup: Bridgewater. Regardless of who the boys faced all season, Bridgewater was Westfield’s biggest test and most contentious match.
Bridgewater was the powerhouse that Westfield was neck and neck with all season. The meet was the definition of back and forth. The Blue Devils would take first just to turn around and lose the next race. To move on to the Public A championship the Blue Devils needed to prove why they were worthy of the championship spot.
The whole meet came down to the final relay. With the help of the cheering crowd, the Blue Devils stole first and third place, securing them a sectional championship win and a spot in the Public A championship.
The sectional championship was just another building block to the final prize – the state trophy. Traveling to Rutgers University at 9 a.m. on a Sunday morning, the Blue Devils needed to beat Cherry Hill to declare themselves state champions.
The Meet of Champions – the final mark of the swim season. For the seniors, it would be the last time they swam in a pool representing Westfield. Senior captain Charlie Jeckell expressed, “We are just a very team driven group of guys. So we just did the best we could in prelims and finals and everything, and we were lucky enough to be in a spot where we could have a senior relay in the finals which was great for us in our last meet, so it was good that we all got to swim during finals and swim fast and get to get on the podium.”
As the season comes to a close, saying goodbye to valuable seniors always leaves a toll. This year, boys swimming had eight seniors – Dylan Altman, Hudson Berg, Adam Goddard, Charlie Jeckell, Daniel McGann, Archili Mtsituri, Ben Nematadzira and Caleb Wiggins – each of whom left a mark on Westfield swim forever.
Senior and captain Jeckell reflected on not only this season, but his entire career with Westfield swim: “My favorite part was getting in the pool everyday with those guys, and being able to be on the team for these last four years with these guys. I am honored to call myself captain of the team and that’s nothing short of everything I dreamed of when I was the one watching the high schoolers in middle school and in elementary school, and I couldn’t have asked for a better four years.”
Next year, the team plans to keep the hardware by securing another state championship. In the meantime, the boys will look to continue their journey of success and bring home another championship. Coach Knight thinks they will do just that: “As we look towards next season the goal remains the same. We lose some key teammates but I know that the returning core want to add number 29 to our banner. Championships are not just won in the big meets, they are won in the preparation that comes before that. This group of young men know what it takes having done it before. Repeating is always hard but the motivation for a three-peat is palpable amongst this group.”
