OCEAN CITY – After falling to unbeaten St. Augustine Prep Jan. 17, the Ocean City boys swim team picked up its sixth win of the season two days later, beating Vineland 113-57.
Against the Prep, the Red Raiders took first place in only two events in the 113-57 loss, although they were fractions of a second behind in a number of other events.
Ocean City lost the opening 200-meter medley relay by six-tenths of a second to Anthony Mortellite, Dante Buonadonna, Massimo Catania and Parker Lapsley, who won in 1 minute, 39.25 seconds. Raiders Tommy Armstrong, Gavin Neal, Pat Armstrong and Jackson Agnellini finished in 1:39.88.
Pat Armstrong won the 100 butterfly in 53.57 seconds, besting Hermit Jonah Alvarez by three-tenths of a second.
In the 100 freestyle, Neal was only a tenth of a second behind Lapsley, who won in 49.66 seconds.
Pat Armstrong, Agnellini, Matthew Woodside and Neal won the 200 freestyle relay in 1:29.24. Prep’s Alvarez, Lapsley, Matthew Stanker and Cole Jennings were second.
Against Vineland, with the score reversed, Ocean City won all but one event.
Tommy Armstrong, Neal, C.J. Denn and Agnelllini won the 200 medley relay in 1:54.68 and teammates Colin Abbot, Matthew Bell, Nico Eafrati and Chris Garrabrant were third.
Woodside (2:01.87 and Michael Kelly went 1-2 in the 200 freestyle with teammate Ryan Slaven fifth.
Pat Armstrong won the 200 individual medley in 2:16.92 with Abbott and Alex Hanson third and fifth.
Agnellini took the 50 freestyle in 25.8 seconds. Raiders Teddy Leeds and Thorne Swift were fourth and fifth.
Pat Armstrong picked up another evicting in the 100 butterfly, wining in 1:01.79 with Denn second.
Neal (56.5) lead a 1-2-3 sweep in the 100 freestyle followed by Tommy Armstrong and Bell.
Woodside was second in the 400 freestyle in 4:23.98 with Colin Schweim fourth for the Red Raiders.
In the 200 freestyle relay, Pat Armstrong, Neal, Agnellini and Leeds won in 1:45.18 with teammates Abbott, Dustin Laricks, Bell and Woodside second.
Denn (1:03.52) and Tommy Armstrong finished 1-2 in the 100 backstroke with Ocean City’s Ryan Slaven fifth.
Neal won the 100 breaststroke in 1:14.01. Abbott and Bell were third and fourth.
Pat Armstrong, Agnellini, Woodside and Tommy Armstrong wrapped up the meet by winning the 400 freestyle relay with teammates Swift, Scheim, Leeds and Denn third.
The Red Raiders are third in the American division (6-3, 4-2) behind Egg Harbor Township (6-0, 6-0) and St. Augustine (6-0, 5-0).
Aside from St. Augustine, the Red Raiders lost to EHT 113-57 to open the season and to Cherokee, 87-83. The boys beat Absegami 108-62, Eastern 87-83, Mainland 91-79, Ridley (Pa.) 98-72 and Atlantic City 107-63, in addition to Vineland.
Ocean City, the defending South Jersey Public B defending champ, was swimming at Millville Tuesday after the Sentinel sports section went to press. The boys’ final scheduled meet is Jan. 30, when they host Lenape at 4:15 p.m. at the Ocean City Aquatic and Fitness Center.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
