Another year, another county win. Westfield proved yet again why it is No. 1 in the state as it won the Union County Championships with an astonishing 466 points.
In the first race of the night, the 200 medley relay, Westfield came out strong. The relay team, consisting of seniors Colin Kavanagh, Leo Mangiamele, Christian Tedesco and sophomore Owen Waibel, maintained a promising lead throughout the race and finished first with a time of 1:37.92. This first win set high expectations for the rest of the meet.
This relay was not the only win of the night for Kavanagh, as he placed first in the 200 IM (1:58.20), 100 back (53.10) and had a second-place finish in the 400 free relay (3:25.10). His strong performances added points that helped lift Westfield to its victory.
One race was particularly close for Kavanagh, as he faced strong competition from his own teammate, Danny Pierce, in the 100 back. “I saw [Pierce] catching me,” said Kavanagh. “I had to put on the burners there, so it felt great to win.”
Despite being a sophomore, Pierce has stepped up this season as one of the biggest contributors to the team. He also trailed just behind Kavanagh in the 200 IM, placing second with a time of 2:00.63. His consistent solid performances helped Westfield increase its lead and stay on top throughout the meet.
Although a big lead alleviates some of the pressure for the swimmers, head coach Jeff Knight stresses the importance of remaining focused. “Everyone’s still locked in, whether it’s a small or a large lead,” said Knight.
Waibel had multiple first-place finishes, in the 50 free (21.73), 200 free relay (1:27.65) and 100 breast (59.35). The 100 breast was one of the closest races of the night, as the lead went back and forth between Waibel and a Governor Livingston swimmer. In the end, Waibel pulled through and won by a mere 0.02 seconds.
Although Westfield came in as the only state-ranked team in the county, the Blue Devils still faced plenty of competition. “Everybody in this county really pushes each other and it’s always a great race,” Pierce said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Not every race ended in Westfield’s favor. Summit, who placed second to Westfield by 131 points, won the 200 free (1:43.98) and the 400 free relay (3:19.87). Other schools including Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Governor Livingston and Linden took first place in events throughout the night. However, as Kavanagh put it, the Blue Devils still “got it done.”
This win is just the start for Westfield. Knight said, “Our goal is to reach three trophies by the end of the season, so this is just the first one in terms of achieving that goal.”
