LINWOOD – The Mustang boys swim team is 6-1 after defeating Cape May Tech at home Jan. 11 and following that with a 110-65 victory at Atlantic City.
Coach Brian Booth and his swimmers have had to contend with a pair of January meets being canceled, one due to snow and the other to COVID-19 protocols. That has disrupted the schedule, but Booth said he is pleased with how his boys are swimming. Still, he notes, the team remains “a work in progress.”
“We missed out on the (two meets), but we’re going to make them up. It’s going to be a little hectic in the next couple of weeks,” he said. They have three meets this week and will host St. Augustine Prep on Jan. 31 in one of the rescheduled meets. “And then we’ll see where we go from there,” he added.
They had a meet at Oakcrest Tuesday after the Sentinel sports section went to press, will host Holy Spirit at 4 p.m. Thursday and will be at Vineland at 6 p.m. Friday.
December was a busy month for the team with five of its meets before the winter break.
The team’s only loss was in mid-December to Egg Harbor Township, 95-75.
“We’re still trying to get our best lineup together,” Booth said. “I’ve only really put a lineup together once when we swam EHT.” That he considered one of the team’s better lineups. “We’ve kind of had some easier meets here and there, but I’m happy with what I see. The boys are getting themselves in shape and we’re looking forward to the next couple of weeks to see what we can do.”
He was excited about some of the swims he saw in the meet against Cape May Tech.
Among the swimmers who have been leading the team so far this season is Mason Bushay, “our best all-around swimmer,” Booth said. He also is “really pleased” with what he is seeing in the Vasser brothers, Zach and Carson. “They’ve been working really hard.” He added Matt Giannantonio and Brian Brown, his “senior boys, they lead by example. They really push it at practice and it’s nice to see their efforts paying off.”
Mainland 132
Cape May Tech 34
The Mustangs took first and second in the opening event, the 200-meter medley relay, with Alex Savov, Evan Falk, Mason Bushay and Zach Vasser first in 2:02.89, and teammates Carson Vasser, Matt Giannantonio, Ryan Brown and Blaire Valentino second. Cape May Tech’s Lucas Gehring, Carlos Rio, Doug Taverner and Teddy Woolery were third.
Chris Pozza led the 1-2-3 sweep in the 200 freestyle with his winning time of 2:37.38. Ryan Kennedy and Charlie Milhous were second and third. Evan Carlson and Taverner were fourth and fifth for Tech.
Mainland’s Giannantonio won the 200 individual medley in 2:24.70 with teammates Karim Aksenov second and Jack Barnhart fourth. Gehring and Wenker were third and fifth for Tech.
Brown on the 50 freestyle in 27.08 seconds with teammates Valentino and Zach Wildman second and third. Teddy Woolery and Jack Wurtz were fourth and fifth for Tech.
Bushay won the 100 butterfly in a time of 1:01.86 and teammate Dan Tracey was second. Tech’s Woolery was third.
Carson Vasser won the 100 freestyle in 57.9 seconds with Valentino second and Wildman fourth. Gehring and Wenker were third and fifth for Tech.
The Mustangs swept the top three places in the 400 freestyle led by Zach Vasser in 4:29.75, and followed by Ryan Kennedy and Milhous. Taverner and Trevor Magill were fourth and fifth for Tech.
Mustangs Giannantonio, Carson Vasser, Brown and Bushay teamed up to win the 200 freestyle relay in 1:43.73 followed by teammates Falk, Valentino, Wildman and Zach Vasser. Jarrod Calrson, Rios, Magill and Evan Carlson were third for Tech.
Savov won the 100 backstroke in 1:06.12 with Pozza second and Dan Tracey third for Mainland. Jarrod Carlson and Wenker were fourth and fifth for Tech.
Falk on the 100 breaststroke with Aksenov second and Barnhart fifth. Falk’s winning time was 1:19.42. Rios and Wenker were third and fourth for Tech.
Zach Vasser, Carson Vasser, Giannantonio and Bushay won the final event, the 400 freestyle relay, in 3:57.58. Teammates Brown, Wildman, Savov and Falk were second. Carlson, Gehring, Taverner and Woolery were third for Tech.
– STORY AND PHOTOS By DAVID NAHAN, Sentinel staff