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January 6, 2025

Ocean City boys swim team falls to EHT, but limits Eagles to 94 points

OCEAN CITY — The Ocean City boys swim team lost to Egg Harbor Township on Dec. 10, but held the Eagles to the lowest point total in quite a while.

“I think that’s the first time we’ve held them to 94 points since I’ve been coaching, so that was a nice thing for us,” Ocean City head coach Shane McGrath said after the meet. “They’re always such a talented team and most years it’s not even a meet, really, so we were excited to keep it to that 94-76 score.”

EHT coach Mark Jamieson said he sees a lot of “youth and promise” on his boys team.

“Every race matters at this point and it shows we have some freshmen and sophomores stepping up in big roles on both the boys and girls sides,” Jamieson said of the meet in which the boys and girls alternated in the joint event at the Ocean City Aquatic and Fitness Center.

“I was really proud of how we raced. The season is in its very early stages and I think we have a lot of potential to regain some strength as we get into playoff times this year,” he said.

Asked about his top swimmers, he pointed to Max Smilevski, “a premier sprinter for us,” and a “great leader” in DJ Williams. “We have the youth of Elijah (Hocboh) and I’m happy to see where we’re at right now and we’re already looking forward to next week already.”

For his part, McGrath talked about the highlights for the Raiders.

“Tommy Armstrong was close to school records and state cuts in the 100 and 200 free,” McGrath said. “The 200 and 400 free relays is something that is going to carry us deep in the season. We still have to put the puzzle together and figure out where we’re going to be the strongest in all the events, but I’m very happy in how we responded today,” he said.

The coach also likes to remind his boys about the longer-term goals.

“I tell them all the time, some of you are going to drop time every meet, some of you are going to add time here or there, but you can’t let it beat you up. It all has to come toward the end of the season when you’re hitting on all cylinders,” he said.

EHT 94, OCHS 76

Adam Schreiner, Jacob Yushan, Hocboh and Williams won the opening 200-meter medley relay in 1 minute, 57.94 seconds with teammates William Seaman, Jacob Garrow, Ethan Tran and Stephen Slusarski third. Ocean City’s Wilson Stauffer, Keenan Neuman, Chris Garrabrant and Colin Schweim were second.

Armstrong won the 200 meters for the Raiders in 1:59.14 with Mihail Mosendz fifth; Loegan Manning, Ryan Cornell and Seaman were second, third and fourth for EHT, respectively.

The Eagles put some serious distance on the Raiders in the 200 individual medley. Yushan (2:21.33), Hocboh and Schreiner went 1-2-3 for a lopsided event score. Ocean City’s Neuman and Arthur Flukey were fourth and fifth.

EHT’s Smilevski won the 50 meter freestyle in 24.64 seconds with Ocean City’s Matt Bell second in 25.52. Williams was third and Tran fourth for EHT with Scherbin fifth.

Hocboh won the 100 butterfly in 1:06.96 with Williams third. Ocean City’s Garrabrandt, Alex Hanson and Flukey were second, fourth and fifth.

EHT held the lead at 51-27.

Armstrong won his second event of the day in the 100 freestyle in 53.64 seconds with Bell third and Scherbin fifth. Smilevski was second for EHT and Slusarski fourth.

Manning won the 400 freestyle in 4:35.35 with Eagle teammate Ryan Cornell second. Stauffer, Mitchell Zappone and Ryan Slaven were third, fourth and fifth for Ocean City.

Ocean City regained a little ground in the 200 freestyle relay behind the winning team of Bell, Anthony Buonadonna, Armstrong and Scherbin, who clocked in at 1:45.6. Teammates Neuman, Schweim, Liam Koch and Garrabrandt were third. EHT’s Smilevski, Williams, Tran and Cornell were second.

Seaman (1:05.38) and Schreiner went 1-2 in the 100 backstroke with Stauffer and Mosendz third and fourth.

In the 100 breaststroke, Yushan won in 1:12.34. Ocean City’s Joe Mayan, Neuman and Ryan Southard were second, third and fifth.

Ocean City won the final event of the meet, the 400 freestyle relay, in 3:54.33 behind Bell, Scherbin, Armstrong and Stauffer. Ocean City’s Schweim, Flukey, Hanson and Mosendz were third. EHT’s Smilevski, Yushan, Cornell and Seaman were second.

Ocean City (2-1) beat Southern Regional 137-33 on Friday. They will travel to Mainland Regional at 4 p.m. Thursday. EHT was at Vineland on Tuesday.

– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff

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