“We had a goal in mind,” said head coach Jeff Knight, “and that was to win a sectional title.” And that is exactly what Westfield did. The No. 1 seed Blue Devils defeated No. 2 seed Bridgewater-Raritan in an intense meet, allowing Westfield to win back-to-back North 2, Public A sectional titles. The Blue Devils outscored the Panthers 92–78.
However, it was not smooth sailing for the Blue Devils as the Panthers came out strong, taking the lead after the first race. Bridegwater placed first in the 200 medley relay (1:36.67) as Westfield fell closely behind (1:37.13). Westfield wouldn’t let its opponent maintain the lead for long. The Blue Devils clinched first and second place in the following race, the 200 free. Logan Swenson outswam his competitors (1:44.83), putting Westfield on top by 4 points.
Ultimately, Westfield came out on top in six races, as Bridgewater-Raritan paddled past the Blue Devils in the remaining five. Owen Waibel was a sure bet for the Blue Devils as he thrived in the leading position. Waibel recorded a perfect record in both his independent races and his relays. When asked about how it felt to lead the team to a sectional title, all Waibel could say was, “It felt great.”
Waibel won the 50 free (21:37) and the 100 free (46:71), while also leading the 200 free relay team to a victory (1:28.16) alongside Leo Mangiamele, Dylan Altman and Swenson. Waibel’s final relay ensured Westfield the trophy after coming out on top in the 400 free relay (3:18.88) alongside Danny Pierce, Swenson, and Colin Kavanagh.
Waibel was not the only individual standout at the meet, as Artem Dobrovolskyi achieved a personal best in the 500 free (4:52.57) shaving about seven seconds off of his usual time.
Despite Bridgewater-Raritan securing the win in this race, Dobrovolskyi’s performance garnered cheers and screams from the deck and the crowd.
“It feels so good to get a personal record at the sectional championship, I really like the support,” said Dobrovolskyi.
Along with the 500 free and the 200 medley relay, Bridgewater-Raritan also placed first in the 100 fly, 100 back and 100 breast. “Some things went our way, some things didn’t go as planned, but the guys grinded and they got the job done. I’m extremely proud of them,” said Knight.
This win keeps Westfield undefeated and extends its season another week. Westfield advances to the Public A semifinal, where the Blue Devils will take on Passaic Tech on Wednesday.
“We want to be peaking in the next few meets as we will have some stiff competition out for us,” said Knight. In preparation for the next meet, Knight said all that needs to be done is some “fine tuning… It is just about getting everyone primed and ready to go.”
Westfield’s next goal? To win a state title.
