The tension in the Wallace Pool burned the chlorine-filled air as spectators packed the balcony to watch the annual regular-season matchup. “The [Christian Brothers Academy] rivalry has always meant a lot to us ever since my freshman year, so I think this win was a great way to carry energy into this weekend for counties,” said senior captain Danny Pierce.
The No. 1 ranked Blue Devils and the No. 7 ranked Colts, both with undefeated records, suited up for one of the most exciting meets of the year. Although close at the beginning, Westfield ultimately took first place in 7 of the 11 events and beat CBA 100-70.
The meet started with everyone’s favorite event, an action-packed 200 medley relay. The buzzer sounded and the backstroke leg broke out, then the breaststroke and then the butterfly. All three legs kept the A-relays from both schools neck-and-neck, until the anchors dove in. Senior Owen Waibel blazed down and back, beating the Colts by two seconds.
The relay consisted of Pierce, senior captain Hudson Wilcomes, senior Logan Swenson and Waibel. This powerful lineup resulted in a new school record with a time of 1 minute 33.72 seconds, crushing the previous record, 1:34.50, set in 2017.
“We were really close against Bergan Catholic, but we just missed it, so it was great to bounce back here and shave off the little bit that we needed to get the record,” said Swenson.
Senior captain Michael Fisher, who would swim in the following event, said, “I always like to stand behind the block while they swim that race because I’m always so inspired by how fast they go, so it was really cool to see them grab the record and it inspired me for my own swim.”
The next event would be one of the few where the Colts would take first place. CBA’s senior Alexander Ruckel-Bekefi (1:43.59) touched the wall less than a second before Fisher (1:44.29), but Blue Devils Artem Debrovolskyi and James Kavanagh were closely behind to take third and fourth place, out-scoring the Colts 9-7 in the 200 freestyle.
Next up was the 200 individual medley, which finished in a similar manner to the 200 freestyle, with the Colts taking first place, but Westfield senior Cole Sharkey, junior Dylan Lagrimas and Wilcomes ending second, third and fourth places, respectively.
“Field! West! Field!” reverberated throughout the natatorium.
The cheering and chants never stopped, encouraging top performances from every swimmer in the pool. Swenson said, “You’re swimming a lot of events in a really short amount of time and it takes a toll on the body. So having the guys around you to keep your morale up throughout the meet is really important to stay focused.”
Next was the 50 freestyle, a Waibel and Swenson special. They commanded first and second place with times of 20.80 and 22.14, respectively. To follow, Swenson hopped right back in the pool with Pierce this time, for the 100 butterfly. Although Pierce started ahead, a goggle malfunction slowed him down.
“It was probably one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had during a high school meet. But, you can’t let your emotions get to you, especially in a really quick event and meet like this, you just need to bounce back and swim with some anger,” said Peirce.
Pierce placed second with a time of 52.61, Swenson came in third with a time of 52.09 and freshman Alex Cherenkov came in fifth with a time of 57.39. Before the break, Waibel and Kavanagh came in first (46.98) and third (49.05) in the 100 freestyle.
Just like that, everyone on the balcony was on their feet again for more relays. Westfield secured first in the 200 freestyle relay with Wilcomes, Lagrimas, Fisher and Swenson; and the Blue Devils placed first in the 400 freestyle with Fisher, Pierce, Sharkey and Waibel.
Head coach Jeff Knight said, “I was really pleased with the results. Obviously breaking some records stands out, but overall continuing to build in the second half of the season and as we get ready for the championships like counties this weekend and sectionals and the state finals. There were definitely some positive steps that took place today and some young guys are really starting to figure it out.”
Although in some cases swimming is individualistic, support and energy is a necessity for the success of the team. Waibel said, “I’m most proud of what Logan did for us on the 200 Medley relay. He’s such a great teammate and he really knows how to stay consistent.”
Then Wilcomes said, “Owen is the best person to practice and swim with. I really appreciate when he gives me tips and it makes me so much better to have someone like him around.”
Anyone can tell that the Blue Devils thrive from each other to motivate success. Swenson said, “We got a really great win here against a ranked team and we are going to try to carry as much of this momentum as we can while we take on some of the best teams in the county.”
On the other side of the deck, the girls swim team faced Trinity hall with great performances from sophomore Jane Kavanagh in the 200 individual medley relay and senior Brooke McAndrew in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle. Despite these first place swims, the girls fell to the Monarchs 54-116.
The girls and boys will compete in the county championship meet on Jan. 19. Knight said, “Our biggest competitor in some cases is us. In the sense that we need to maintain the right mindset and keep our work ethic throughout. In counties, Summit will be our biggest matchup.”
