On Feb. 11, the Westfield boys swimming team ended their season after a loss to Bridgewater-Raritan in the NJSIAA sectional final. As the defending state champions, the boys showed their grit, maintaining an 8-4 record despite losing one of the team’s strongest senior classes that graduated at the end of last year.
The season started strong with three consecutive wins over Union, Cranford and Governor Livingston. The Blue Devils then took on Scotch Plains-Fanwood and were narrowly defeated 86.5-83.5. This was an unexpected loss for the team, since in the past few seasons, the boys have come out on top against them, but senior co-captain Dylan Lagrimas shared how this loss fueled the team to push themselves. “A lot of us got a little too comfortable with being on top, so in a weird way, losing was something we needed to really lock in. It was a difference of mindset,” he said.
This proved to be the case when the Blue Devils reached the Union County Final. Despite losing to both Summit and Scotch Plains-Fanwood previously, they overwhelmed their competitors and took home the championship. Senior co-captain Logan Welsh said the team had been anticipating the matchup all season. “We’d known since the start of the season it was going to be a close one this year, and after losing to SPF early in the season, we were the underdogs going into counties,” he said.
The success in the Union County tournament was a team effort, but standout performances from swimmers, including Welsh, led to their success. Head coach Jeffrey Knight said, “He stepped up big time, which is exactly what I would expect a captain to do. His time drops in his individual events were a huge reason why we had the opportunity to win the championship in the last relay.”
Reflecting on that moment, Welsh added, “Knowing our dual meet with SPF came down to the last relay, it was pretty awesome to have counties also come down to the last relay, where we were finally able to get our revenge.”
The Blue Devils season came to an end when they ultimately lost to Bridgewater-Raritan 118-52 in the state sectional final, but the growth and determination throughout the season were unmatched. This year’s team was unique in that the senior class was very small, and the majority of the team were underclassmen. One of these underclassmen who had a standout season was sophomore James Kavanagh. Knight said, “Over the course of the season, James distinguished himself as not just one of the best swimmers in the state, but one of the best in program history.”
This proved to be the case at the Meet of Champions, where Kavanagh’s performance ranked third in school history after placing fifth with a time of 1:41.62 in the 200 Freestyle. Other standout performances from the Meet of Champions included Lagrimas’ eighth-place finish in the 100 Breaststroke and Westfield’s seventh-place finish in the 400 Freestyle Relay, bringing the Blue Devils’ season to a close.
Outside of the pool, the team is connected through traditions, including the shave party before sectional finals, where they get fresh haircuts together as a team-bonding experience. Lagrimas emphasized the team’s closeness, saying, “I hope to see the brotherhood-like dynamic continue next year as that’s really what Westfield swimming is all about. We really put an emphasis on swimming for more than just ourselves. At the end of the day, we’re swimming for the alumni that came before us, for Coach Knight and most importantly, for each other and the team.”
Welsh echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of the team’s close-knit dynamic. “Even though swimming comes down to individual races, everyone understands that we’re swimming for each other, and that just makes us even faster,” he said.
