(Photo by Peter Hvizdak-New Haven Register) Bryce Keblish of Fairfield Prep swims to a victory in the 200 yard Freestyle at Southern Connecticut State University Wednesday March 5, 2014 in New Haven during the SCC Swimming Championship.
Bryce Keblish of Fairfield Prep swims to a victory in the 100-yard butterfly at the SCC Swimming Championship Wednesday. Peter Hvizdak/Register
NEW HAVEN >> Fairfield Prep’s dominance at the Southern Connecticut Conference boys swimming championship meet continues.
The Jesuits, paced by seniors Bjorn Davis and Brandon Cole and junior Bryce Keblish — all double-winners on Wednesday — won their 10th straight league championship at Moore Field House on the campus of Southern Connecticut State.
The Jesuits tallied 1,365 points to win comfortably over Cheshire (850) and Notre Dame-West Haven (671). Branford was fourth and Amity placed fifth.
“The program got it started long before I got here,” Davis said, “but it’s always nice to be part of that winning tradition, and to carry it on today. There will be a day when it (ends), but I’m just glad I got my four years in without it (ending).”
Davis, Keblish, Cole and Nick Wargo teamed to win the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays, while Matthew Lee, Stuart Stritzel, John Hoin and Andrew McPhee won the 200 medley relay.
[PHOTOS: The SCC Boys Swimming Championship]
“It’s really a thrill,” Prep coach Rich Hutchinson said. “We talked about it this morning that it would be 10 in a row. I think if you told Prep 10 years ago that we would win 10 in a row, nobody would believe it. I told them to savor it. Things don’t always happen every year, so savor it.”
Davis, the reigning Register Area MVP, won his second straight league title in the 50 freestyle and also placed first in the 100 freestyle, while Cole won both the 200 individual medley and 500 freestyle.
Keblish emerged victorious in the 200 freestyle and in his featured event, the 100 butterfly. Keblish does not expect to swim the 200 freestyle at the Class LL championships, but he still finished first in 1 minute, 43.99 seconds.
(Photo by Peter Hvizdak-New Haven Register)
Wednesday March 5, 2014 in New Haven.
“I just wanted to see what I can do in the 200 free,” Keblish said. “It’s been going well in dual meets this season. The time itself wasn’t particularly strong, but it’s still a fast time. I can’t really complain.”
Notre Dame-West Haven junior Edmund Falcigno, a Branford resident, claimed victory in the 100 backstroke, winning in 56.59 seconds, almost two seconds faster than his seed time.
“It was a personal best by almost a second,” Falcigno said. “This has been my goal since I was a kid, to win SCC backstroke, so I am happy that I was able to win. I kind of just said to myself that I have to use whatever’s left in the tank and just try my hardest.”
Amity senior A.J. Pite finished second in the 200 IM, an event he won last season, but rebounded to win the 100 breaststroke.
The team of Ryan Mostoller, Michael Goodrich, Kyle Shadeck and Alexander Cheruk placed second in the 200 medley relay for Cheshire, while Karl Bishop placed second in the 500 freestyle.
Lyman Hall senior Kyle Neri finished third in the 500 freestyle, but pulled out of the 100 freestyle, an event he won last season, after injuring his ankle in practice this week.
Hand’s Tianyi Zeng won the diving title on Tuesday.
SCC Championship
(at New Haven)
Team scores: 1. Fairfield Prep, 1365; 2. Cheshire, 850; 3. Notre Dame-West Haven, 671; 4. Branford, 573; 5. Amity, 554; 6. Hand, 497; 7. Xavier, 416; 8. Lyman Hall, 368; 9. Sheehan, 367; 10. Hamden, 365; 11. Foran, 319; 12. Shelton, 260; 13. West Haven, 160; 14. North Haven, 157; 15. Guilford, 105; 16. Law, 83.
Individual events: 200 medley relay: 1. Fairfield Prep (Matthew Lee, Stuart Stritzel, John Hoin, Andrew McPhee), 1:41.65; 2. Cheshire, 1:44.17; 3. Branford, 1:44.22; 200 freestyle: 1. Bryce Keblish (FP), 1:43.99; 2. Nick Wargo (FP), 1:45.48; 3. Connor Robison (Shee), 1:47.07; 200 individual medley: 1. Brandon Cole (FP), 1:56.84; 2. A.J. Pite (Amity), 1:59.73; 3. David May (ND), 2:01.71; 50 freestyle: 1. Bjorn Davis (FP), 21.26; 2. Carl Thurston (Shee), 21.94; 3. Kyle Neri (LH), 22.04; Diving: 1. Tianyi Zeng (Hand), 539.65; 2. Robert McCrory (FP), 355.25; 3. Liam Barnes (X), 343.60; 100 butterfly: 1. Bryce Keblish (FP), 51.41; 2. David May (ND), 51.88; 3. John Hoin (FP), 53.22; 100 freestyle: 1. Bjorn Davis (FP), 47.12; 2. Nick Wargo (FP), 47.68; 3. Carl Thurston (Shee), 49.34; 500 freestyle: 1. Brandon Cole (FP), 4:46.24; 2. Karl Bishop (Ches), 4:52.05; 3. Ali Pourmaleki (Bran), 4:54.12; 200 freestyle relay: 1. Fairfield Prep (Bjorn Davis, Brandon Cole, Nick Wargo, Bryce Keblish), 1:26.69; 2. Amity, 1:31.81; 3. Cheshire, 1:33.55; 100 backstroke: 1. Edmund Falcigno (ND), 56.59; 2. John Kealy (FP), 56.95; 3. Guido Balderrama (FP), 57.44; 100 breaststroke: 1. A.J. Pite (Amity), 1:01.96; 2. John Hoin (FP), 1:02.03; 3. Stuart Stritzel (FP), 1:03.15; 400 freestyle relay: 1. Fairfield Prep (Nick Wargo, Brandon Cole, Bryce Keblish, Bjorn Davis), 3:09.12; 2. Amity, 3:23.50; 3. Sheehan, 3:24.33.
