CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – The Ocean City High School boys swim team is ranked second in South Jersey Group B in Power Points so far this season.
With a 6-3 record, the Red Raiders are only behind three-time defending South Jersey Group B champion Mainland Regional High School, which is atop the points board with a 6-1 record.
Ocean City lost to Mainland 102-68 back in December, but since then has won four of five meets, its only loss coming to powerful St. Augustine Prep, the only team to beat Mainland this season.
Aside from that, the Red Raiders beat Southern 106-64, Lenape 99-71, Oakcrest 115-55 and, on Friday, Jan. 16, Middle Township 126-44.
“We’re happy. We’re working hard,” head coach Shane McGrath said at the meet against the Panthers at the Cape May County Special Services District pool.
“Like most seasons, our goal is to just continue to improve on the last meet, the last practice. And we’re just excited for the South Jersey Swim Coaches Invitational coming up Saturday,” McGrath said. “We have our senior meeting against Clearview so we’re excited for that.”
The boys host Clearview at 4 p.m. Thursday at their home pool at the Ocean City Aquatic and Fitness Center.
“Today we’ve had some good swims. We’re just going to keep trucking along and trying to get better every day,” he said.
The coach said the sectionals are always in mind.
“Mainland right now is a strong number one. They’re going to be very, very tough,” he said. “It just comes down to times and right now they’re the fastest team in our section. Shawnee is also very strong, so we’re looking at possibly swimming them.”
He added the goals are also to get some of the relays and individuals into the Meet of Champions at the end of the season. Wilson Stauffer has already qualified in the 50 freestyle.
“We’re excited about that,” McGrath said. They are hoping to get the 200 freestyle relay team. “That is another one where we have our best shot,” he said, and perhaps the medley relay team to qualify as well.
OCHS 126, Middle 44
Middle Township had a few strong swimmers who picked up a couple of wins Jan. 16, but Ocean City dominated the meet from start to finish.
Raiders Toby Burke, Mihail Mosendz, Stauffer and Jack Scherbin won the opening 200 medley relay in 1:49.69 and took second with Connor Lapsley, Joe Mayan, Colin Schweim and Anthony Buonadonna. Middle’s Colin Russel, Aiden Zheng, Kenneth Martin and Liam Brannon were third.
Panther Colin Russell (1:57.14) won the 200 freestyle followed by Raiders Arthur Flukey, Mitchell Zappone and Liam Koch.
Ocean City swept the top three places in the 200 individual medley. Mosendz won in 2:11.14 followed by Stauffer (2:11.59) and Joe Mayan.
Panther Liam Brannon won the 50 freestyle in 23.63 seconds. Raiders Schweim, Lapsley and Brendan Gallagher were second, third and fourth, respectively.
Ocean City’s Toby Burke (1:03.77) led a 1-2-3 sweep in the 100 butterfly with Scherbin and Schweim.
Zappone won the 100 freestyle in 55.84 seconds followed by Middle’s Brannon and Ocean City’s Jack Howard and Buonadonna.
Flukey took the 400 freestyle in 5:36.03. Middle’s Zheng was second and Ocean City’s Ryan Slaven and Liam Koch third and fourth.
Mosendz, Scherbin, Buonadonna and Schweim won the 200 freestyle relay in 1:39.18 with Raider teammates Gallagher, Ryan Southard, Howard and Zappone second. Middle’s Gabriel Long, Zheng, Luis Pomares and Russell were third.
Stauffer won the 100 backstroke in 1:00.47. Middle’s Russell was second and Ocean City’s Burke and Lapsley were third and fourth.
Mosendz took the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.78 with teammates Mayan and Southard finishing the sweep.
The Raiders finished strong, taking first and second in the 400 freestyle relay.
Stauffer, Koch, Flukey and Scherbin were first in 3:36.12 with Zappone, Slaven, Gallagher and Zach Bellwoar second. Middle’s Pomares, Gabriel Long, Darp Patel and Liam Brannon were third.
Middle is 2-3 on the season.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
