NEWBURYPORT — “We had this one circled on the calendar from day one,” said coach Jeff Boyd of the close matchup between the Lynnfield/Wakefield cooperative boys’ swim team and Triton that took place at the Newburyport YWCA last week.
“Every year, we bust our tails to beat Triton,” Boyd continued. “I’m so proud to see that hard work pay off. For the last three years, the focus has always been on Triton. And for three years, our focus and hard work has paid off. This is a very special group and I couldn’t be prouder of this team.”
Indeed, this was a special win that came down to the final race when it was still unknown immediately after which team was the victor. When the score was announced, 49-45, in favor of the Warriors/Pioneers, there was a jubilant celebration.
The meet was close the entire way. Though Lynnfield/Wakefield led at each point in the contest, there was only a two-point margin close to the end.
Going into the final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay, Triton would have won with a 1-2 finish. Thankfully for Wakefield/Lynnfield fans, that did not happen, and the team preserved their unbeaten track record for the season.
The meet got underway with the 200-yard medley relay which was won by Wakefield’s James Cook, Malcolm Kelton and senior captain Henry Brown. Senior captain Hudson Little was a member of the third place medley relay team.
Triton had some elite swimmers so that Wakefield’s usual standouts did not win every race, as they often do. But every second and third place finish was meaningful in this contest, so the depth of the team carried the day.
Cook placed second in the 200-yard freestyle race and Kelton and one of the Lynnfield swimmers placed first and third in the 200-yard individual medley. Brown placed second in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle events.
A particularly exciting race was the 100-yard butterfly which was won by Lynnfield’s Nick DeGennaro. Little pulled ahead in the last yards to finish second and catapult his team to a nice lead at that point.
After two Lynnfield swimmers placed second and third in the 500-yard freestyle, the 200-yard freestyle relay team of Little, Marc Gagne, Michael Brown and Lynnfield’s Brendan Koleszar finished second.
Another significant boost for the Warriors/Pioneers came about when Cook and DeGennaro went 1-2 in the 100-yard backstroke. Then Kelton and a Lynnfield swimmer placed 2-3 in the 100-yard breaststroke.
Down to the last event of the contest, the 400-yard freestyle relay, the scales could have been tipped for either team. The first and second place teams were neck-and-neck for most of the race and the third and fourth place teams were as well.
The Triton relay teams ended up finishing first and third in this last event and their swimmers and fans roared with excitement, as they thought the meet might be going in their favor.
Because the relay team of Henry Brown, Kelton, Cook and DeGennaro finished second, however, this gave the Warriors/Pioneers enough points to walk away victorious with a score of 49-45.
The boys beat Ipswich soundly in their next meet and competed in the Cape Ann League championship meet this week. Full stories on both meets will appear at a later date.