NEW HAVEN — There are few high school sports programs, if any, as dominant in the state of Connecticut as the Greenwich boys swimming and diving team.
The Cardinals long stretch of dominance under coach Terry Lowe continued Saturday at Yale's Kiphuth Pool, as the team claimed its 11th straight CIAC State Open title and its 39th in program history.
Coming off its 11th straight and 49th all-time CIAC Class LL championship on Tuesday, in which it scored over 1,000 points as a team for the first time, Greenwich compiled a total of 728 points at the Open.
Trailing behind Greenwich were second-place Fairfield Prep with 416.5 team points and third-place Pomperaug with 307.5 team points.
"This was certainly one of our greatest," Lowe said. "We came out and won by more than 300 points. We had some unbelievable swims today. We had guys lift their performance way beyond what they thought they could do at the beginning of the year."
The Cardinals were led by seniors Luke Mendelsohn and Noah Barrett. Mendelsohn claimed the gold medal in the 200-yard individual medley (1:50.39) and a silver medal in the 100-yard breaststroke (56.72) while Barrett placed first in the 50-yard freestyle (20.66) and fourth in the 100-yard butterfly (50.94).
Freshman Nikitas Kassaris added an individual gold medal for Greenwich in the diving competition with a score of 500.35.
Fellow freshman Noland Barrett finished third in the 200 freestyle (1:41.21) and fifth in the 500 freestyle (4:40.00).
Mendelsohn, both Barrett brothers, and Jake Melley led Greenwich to a first-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The Barrett brothers, Melley and Colin Bucaria made up the Cardinals' first-place 400-yard freestyle relay team. The Cardinals also finished third in the 200-yard medley relay with a team made up of Mendelsohn, William McCarthy, Hadden Wood, and Carl Johnson.
"Obviously we wanted those freestyle relays pretty badly, so that was good to see," Lowe said. "I don't think there is anything we can be dissappointed about today."
McCarthy added a fourth-place finish in the 100 backstroke (53.30) while Melley finished sixth in the 50 freestyle (21.45) for Greenwich.
New Canaan's Multi-Event Champions
Only two athletes won multiple individual events at this year's State Open.
New Canaan senior Jack Haley was the State Open champion in both the 200-yard freestyle (1:37.06) and the 500-yard freestyle (4:25.64). He had won both events last year as well. Haley also placed second as part of New Canaan's 200-yard medley relay team.
Haley's New Canaan teammate, senior Eric Huang, was also a two-time gold medalist on Saturday. He finished first in the 100 butterfly (49.07) and the 100 backstroke (50.38). He also earned a silver medal as a part of New Canaan's 200-yard medley relay team.
Other Top Performers
Beyond the top performances from Greenwich and New Canaan's pair of two-time champions, there were a handful of individual swimmers who left their mark at the State Open.
Benjamin Pope, a junior from E.O. Smith/Tolland was the State Open champion in the 100 freestyle (45.69) and finished second in the 50 freestyle (20.77). Pope was the 50 freestyle champion at last year's State Open.
Pomperaug senior Robert Regan earned an individual gold medal in the 100-yard breaststroke (56.69) while adding a third-place finish in the 200IM (1:51.10).
Cody Lonsberry, a senior from Enfield, earned silver medals in both the 200 freestyle (1:40.18) and the 500 freestyle (4:34.07), finishing behind only Haley in both races.
Avon senior Owen Vale was the second-place finisher in the 200IM (1:50.90) and finished third in the 100 breaststroke (56.79).
Fairfield Prep sophomore Jack Cunningham earned a pair of gold medal as part of his team's first-place 200-yard medley relay team, but he also individually placed third in both the 50 freestyle (20.90) and the 100 freestyle (46.26).
Owen Tharrington, a Fairfield Prep senior, earned a second-place finish in the 100 backstroke (50.45) to go along with his gold medal as part of the winning 200-yard medley relay. His teammate in that relay, sophomore Evan Vanvelzor, finished third in the 100 backstroke (50.79).
Cunningham, Tharrington, and Vanvelzor also earned silver medals as part of Fairfield Prep's second-place 400-yard freestyle relay team along with Timothy King, who finished third individually in the 100 butterfly (50.68).
Fairfield coop senior Michael Ivanov was the second-place finisher in the 100 freestyle (46.32) and finished fourth in the 50 freestyle (21.10).
Northwest Catholic senior Andrew Villani earned a silver medal in the 100 butterfly (49.25) and finished fifth in the 50 freestyle (21.42).
Team Scores: 1. Greenwich 728; 2. Fairfield Prep 416.5; 3. Pomperaug 307.5; 4. Norwalk/McMahon 256; 5. Wilton 220; 6. Hall 209; 7. New Canaan 207; 8. Glastonbury 203; 9. Masuk 188; 10. Sheehan/Lyman Hall 168.5; T11. Northwest Catholic/East Catholic 137; T11. Notre Dame-West Haven; 13. Fairfield coop 131.5; 14. Brookfield 130; 15. Amity 110.5; 16. Conard 105.5; 17. Darien 101.5; 18. Wethersfield 92; 19. Enfield-Ellington-Suffield 87; 20. Bristol coop 75; 21. Northwestern 74; 22. Middletown 72; 23. E.O.Smith/Tolland 68.5; 24. Fitch/Stonington/St. Bernard/Wheeler 68; T25, Newington 67.5; T25. Daniel Hand/Branford/Old Saybrook 67.5; T27. Ridgefield 66; T27. Oxford 66; 29. Woodland 65; 30. Farmington 65; 31. Watertown 56; 32. Avon 54; 33. Weston 53; 34. New Fairfield 50; 35. New Milford 46.5; 36. Berlin 46; 37. Hamden 44; 38. Holy Cross 41; T39. Xavier 27; T39. Westhill/Stamford 27; 41. Seymour 26.5; 42. Shepaug 23; T43. Staples 22; T43. Greater New Haven 22; T43. Bolton 22; 46. Trumbull 16; 47. Manchester coop 15; T48. Lakeview 10; T48. Naugatuck 10; 50. Nonnewaug 5; 51. Meriden coop 3; 52. HK-Valley 1.
Individual Results
200-yard medley relay: 1. Fairfield Prep (Evan Vanvelzor, Gabe Swarowsky, Owen Tharrington, Jack Cunningham) 1:34.08; 2. New Canaan (Jack Haley, Owen Carr, Eric Huang, William Flynn) 1:35.33; 3. Greenwich (William McCarthy, Luke Mendelsohn, Hadden Wood, Carl Johnson) 1:35.91; 4. Pomperaug (Robert Regan, Tristan Nee, Luke Albino, Hunter Keane) 1:37.45; Fairfield Coop (Grant Slippen, Michael Ivanov, Raunak Subedi, Joseph Long) 1:37.95; 6. Glastonbury (Caleb Leon, Devon McCarthy, Holden Kudlac, Peter Walsh).
200-yard freestyle: 1. Jack Haley, New Canaan, 1:37.06; 2. Cody Lonsberry, Enfield, 1:40.18; 3. Noland Barrett, Greenwich, 1:41.21; 4. Brendan Kirberger, Masuk, 1:42.31; 5. Aidan Palaj, Bristol, 1:42.33; 6. Cyrus Xu, Hall, 1:42.96.
200-yard individual medley: 1. Luke Mendelsohn, Greenwich, 1:50.39; 2. Owen Vale, Avon, 1:50.90; 3. Robert Regan, Pomperaug, 1:51.10; 4. Brayden Hale, Sheehan, 1:52.90; 5. Owen Tharrington, Fairfield Prep, 1:54.25; 6. Colin Bucaria, Greenwich, 1:54. 63.
50-yard freestyle: 1. Noah Barrett, Greenwich, 20.66; 2. Benjamin Pope, E.O. Smith/Tolland, 20.77; 3. Jack Cunningham, Fairfield Prep, 20.90; 4. Michael Ivanov, Fairfield Coop, 21.10; 5. Andrew Villani, Northwest Catholic, 21.42; 6. Jake Melley, Greenwich, 21.45.
Diving: 1. Nikitas Kassaris, Greenwich, 500.35; 2. Jake Simon, Darien, 482.25; 3. Matthew McFarlane, Greenwich, 413.90; 4. Nathan Ivans, Middletown, 406.75; 5. Lincoln Busa, Lyman Hall-Coginchaug, 382.85; 6. Nicholas Neunzig, Shepaug Valley, 380.50.
100-yard butterfly: 1. Eric Huang, New Canaan, 49.07; 2. Andrew Villani, Northwest Catholic, 49.25; 3. Timothy King, Fairfield Prep, 50.68; 4. Noah Barrett, Greenwich, 50.94; 5. Jake Melley, Greenwich, 51.04; 6. Julian Adu, Notre Dame-West Haven, 51.41.
100-yard freestyle: 1. Benjamin Pope, E.O. Smith/Tolland, 45.69; 2. Michael Ivanov, Fairfield Coop, 46.32; 3. Jack Cunningham, Fairfield Prep, 46.26; 4. Kuba Latawiec, Newington, 46.69; 5. Liam Fletcher-Ford, New Milford, 47.68; 6. Alexander Sharpe, Norwalk, 47.81.
500-yard freestyle: 1. Jack Haley, New Canaan, 4:25.64; 2. Cody Lonsberry, Enfield, 4:34.07; 3. Brendan Kirberger, Masuk, 4:34.51; 4. Aidan Palaj, Bristol, 4:36.88; 5. Noland Barrett, Greenwich, 4:40.00; 6. Jack Ackerman, Hall, 4:41.98.
200-yard freestyle relay: 1. Greenwich (Luke Mendelsohn, Noland Barrett, Jake Melley, Noah Barrett) 1:23.59; 2. Notre Dame-West Haven (Lelan Jacheo, Gavin Giordano, Christian Wilk, Julian Adu) 1:28.51; 3. Fairfield Prep (Gabe Swarowsky, David Kavasansky, Anduin Thung, Timothy King) 1:28.52; 4. Wilton (Adam Mims, Hirsh Iyer, Lucas Fontana, Jake Mercer) 1:28.78; 5. Glastonbury (Tyler Sowka, Peter Walsh, Leonardo Wong, Naill Easton) 1:28.82; 6. Hall (Cyrus Xu, Quinn O'Neill, Yaron Kantorovich, Jack Ackerman) 1:28.92.
100-yard backstroke: 1. Eric Huang, New Canaan, 50.38; 2. Owen Tharrington, Fairfield Prep, 50.45; 3. Evan Vanzelor, Fairfield Prep, 50.79; 4. William McCarthy, 53.30; 5. Hunter Bodey, Greenwich, 53.35; 6. Mason Durant, Berlin, 53.43.
100-yard breaststroke: 1. Robert Regan, Pomperaug, 56.69; 2. Luke Mendelsohn, Greenwich, 56.72; 3. Owen Vale, Avon, 56.79; 4. Brayden Hale, Sheehan, 58.33; 5. Berke Ceken, Westhill, 58.41; 6. Jack Angelastro, Sheehan, 59.43.
400-yard freestyle relay: 1. Greenwich (Jake Melley, Colin Bucaria, Noland Barrett, Noah Barrett), 3:05.44; 2. Fairfield Prep (Owen Tharrington, Timothy King, Evan Vanvelzor, Jack Cunningham), 3:07.71; 3. Norwalk (David Delong, William Cruz, Sebastian Camille, Alexander Sharpe), 3:11.90; 4. Pomperaug (Miles Montello, Thomas Martin, Tristan Nee, Robert Regan), 3:13.32; 5. Wilton (Andrew Mims, Jake Mercer, Oswald Andrews, Hirsh Iyer), 3:13.41; 6. Hall (Jack Ackerman, Yaron Kantorovich, Maxwell Volenec, Cyrus Xu), 3:14.46.