Instead of calling the event the Greater Middlesex Conference Championships, maybe the annual race to decide the area’s best boys swimming team should be dubbed the St. JosephAnnual Romp. This weekend the high school boys swimming team won the county title for a mind-blowing 30th straight season.
“It never gets old,” St. Joe’s head coach SteveWhittington said. “With a new set of kids, it is like winning for the first time.”
The Falcons reached the top of the winner’s podium thanks to seven first-place finishes, two apiece by Scott Marino and Tim Mancuso. St. Joe’s swept all three relay races to earn 617.5 total points, easily outdistancing second-place finisher South Brunswick’s 404 points. East Brunswick rounded out the top three with 343 total points.
Marino, one of many stars on the talentrich team, took home titles in the 200-yard freestyle race and the 100-yard breaststroke. His time of 58.42 in the 100-yard breaststroke broke the old meet record held by St. Joe’s graduate Eric Swenson.
“Perhaps most impressive about that feat is the fact that Scott ended up beating a national champion’s record,” Whittington said. “Scott continues to surprise me every time he enters the water. His time in the 200 free was also very impressive, to say the least.”
Marino’s time of 1:43.67 in the 200 freestyle race easily beat second-place finisher Ryan Kauth of Old Bridge and his time of 1:51.58.
“Scott Marino and Tim Mancuso have been the backbone of the team all year,” Whittington said. “Tim is just an incredible athlete and a guy that is so intense when he gets up to the block. The rest of the team really feeds off Tim. He’s a guy that just loves to race.”
Mancuso took home titles in both the 100-yard butterfly and the 100-yard backstroke. Mancuso won the fly in 54.06 to beat teammate and second-place finisher Jonathan Freely, who finished at 56.16. He won the backstroke with more room to spare. His time of 54.63 was hardly challenged by South Brunswick’s Tyler Wardlow and his time of 58.03.
Mancuso was also a part of the championship relay teams in both the 200-yard medley and 400-yard freestyle races. Mancuso teamed up withAlexsander Burzynski, Donald Keenan and John Wieczoriek to record a time of 1:42.55 in the 200-yardmedley, and Travis Catania, Freely and Marino to win the 400-yard free in 3:23.18.
In addition to the 400-yard freestyle relay win, Marino joined forces with Keenan, Wieczoriek and Ryan Terracciano to capture the 200-yard free title in 1:32.02.
“Our relay teams did well, but we still have a long road ahead of us,” Whittington said. “It should be interesting to see how everything works out, because there are some very talented teams heading to the state tournament.”
In addition to the Falcons, two teams on everyone’s short list to contend for the state title are Christian Brothers Academy and St.Augustine Prep.Although the Falcons topped CBA in a dual meet this season, CBAgot the best of St. Joe’s at this year’s Pirate Invitational.
“We have a meet with Greenwich coming up, and they are usually a powerhouse in the state of Connecticut,” Whittington said. “It’s always a good match-up for us, and we’ll follow that meet with the states. We’ll see who comes out on top.”