OCEAN CITY — The Ocean City High School boys swim team slipped past Shawnee on Monday afternoon in an exciting meet to earn their way into the finals of the South Jersey Public B sectional tournament.
Once there, at Gloucester County Institute of Technology, the Red Raiders will face defending champion Mainland Regional. The meet is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11.
The 9-1 Mainland Mustangs, the top seed in the sectional, breezed through their own semifinal Monday, taking out No. 5 seed Toms River East 107-63.
The 8-3 Red Raiders, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, beat No. 3 Shawnee (7-4) in the narrowest of fashions, 86-84, at the Ocean City Aquatic and Fitness Center.
OCHS 86, Shawnee 84
The Red Raiders and Renegades traded wins in events throughout Monday’s meet, which came down to the final race.
Shawnee won the opening 200-meter medley relay in 1:54.03, but Ocean City’s two relays finished within 14/100ths of a second of each other for second and third (2:00.82 and 2:00.96).
Connor Lapsley, Mihail Mosendz, Toby Burke and Colin Schweim were second and Jason Chojnacki, Joe Mayan, Arthur Flukey and Anthony Buonadonna were third.
Raider Wilson Stauffer won the 200 freestyle in 2:05.96 with teammates Liam Koch and Mitchell Zappone third and fourth. Shawnee took second and fifth.
It was Shawnee’s turn in the 200 individual medley as Brady Arbittier won in 2:17.37 with Raiders Mosendz, Mayan and Ryan Slaven second, fourth and fifth.
Ocean City’s Jack Scherbin won the 50 freestyle in 25.01 seconds and Buonadonna and Schweim were fourth and fifth. Shawnee took second and third.
Shawnee’s Matthew Elbertson (1:00.92) and Lucas Pearson went 1-2 in the 100 butterfly. Raiders Chojnacki and Flukey were third and fourth.
Stauffer got his second individual win of the day in the 100 freestyle with a time of 52.96 seconds. Teammates Scherbin and Schweim were fourth and fifth. Shawnee took second and third.
Renegade Darren Hill won the 400 freestyle in 4:36.63 with his teammates in third and fourth. Flukey and Koch were second and fifth for the Raiders.
Ocean City picked up huge points in the 200 freestyle relay by taking first and second place for a 10-4 point differential.
Stauffer, Brendan Gallagher, Buonadonna and Schweim won in 1:45.54 with teammates Zappone, Ryan Southard, Kai Cooke and Scherbin second. Shawnee’s relay was third.
Elberson (1:01.82) and Pearson were first and third for Shawnee in the 100 backstroke. Chojnacki, Lapsley and Burke were second, fourth and fifth.
Mosendz picked up a big win in the 100 breaststroke in 1:08.68 and teammates Mayan and Zappone added critical points at fourth and fifth. Shawnee took second and third.
Entering the final event, the Raiders held a four-point lead, 80-76, and needed points to hold off the Renegades, who had a chance to win if they took first and at least third.
Shawnee did get first with Arbittier, Darren Hill, Elberson and Ian Rotberg winning in 3:48.19. Ocean City’s Stauffer, Flukey, Scherbin and Mosendz were second in 3:54.91, putting the battle squarely on the third-place finish.
Raiders Gallagher, Slaven, Chojnacki and Koch came through finishing in 4:08.98 for third place, less than two seconds ahead of Shawnee’s relay squad.
South Jersey finals
Ocean City lost to Mainland 102-68 back in mid-December. The Red Raiders also lost to Egg Harbor Township in December and Cape-Atlantic League-leading St. Augustine Prep, the only team to defeat Mainland this season.
The Red Raiders beat Atlantic City, Absegami and Southern before the Jan. 7 loss to the Prep, but since then reeled off five straight wins over Lenape, Oakcrest, Middle Township, Clearview and then Shawnee.
The Mustangs, who have won the past three South Jersey Group B crowns, are going for their fourth consecutive title. Mainland lost to the Prep in the season-opening meet, then won nine straight over Cedar Creek, Ocean City, Vineland, Absegami, EHT, Atlantic City, Oakcrest, Haddon Township and then Toms River East on Monday.
The Red Raiders, who won the 2022 South Jersey title, are coached by Shane McGrath.
Brian Booth, who is retiring as boys coach after the season, has led his Mustangs to five state championships and 12 South Jersey titles during his tenure of more than three decades.
– By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
