Red Raider boys run record to 8-1
OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City boys swim team is now 8-1 on the season after beating Vineland 145-25 Friday at the Ocean City Aquatic and Fitness Center.
The Red Raiders took first place in all but three events and dominated a depleted Fighting Clan team.
“I put some guys in some different stuff they’re not used to swimming and they responded,” coach Shane McGrath said. “Hats off to the girls team for pulling out a tight meet. That was exciting for them.” (The boys and girls swam against Vineland with first the girls and then the boys doing each event.) “We’re happy where we’re at right now but we’re still grinding and we need to get faster and we need to get better by the end of the season.”
McGrath is still working out his best competitive lineup.
“We’re still moving things around. We still have to figure out some spots that we need to be strong in,” he said. “Tonight, Tommy Armstrong in the 100 back, he’s about a second and a half off of our school record and he’s a freshman, so that was awesome for him.”
“We still have some tinkering to do,” he added. “We have four or five more dual meets in the season and Cape-Atlantic League championships.
“We’re doing the right things right now and just have to continue it.”
Ocean City 145
Vineland 25
Ocean City opened the meet by taking first and second in the 200-meter medley relay. Tommy Armstrong, Gavin Neal, Pat Armstrong and Jackson Agnellini won in 1:58.34 with teammates C.J. Denn, Colin Abbott, Nick Bianchi and Matthew Woodside second. Vineland’s Nick Mainiero, Lucas Merighi, Will Delgado and Michael DeVito were third.
Merighi won the 200 freestyle in 2:11.16 with Ocean City’s Michael Kelly, Brett Heritage and Andrew Koch second, third and fourth.
Tommy Armstrong earned one of his two first-place finishes on the day with a 2:33.75 finish in the 200 individual medley. Denn was second and Bell fourth. Vineland’s Mainiero was third.
Abbott led a 1-2-3 sweep in the 50 freestyle with his time of 27.46 seconds. Mo Levin and Kraig Redmond were second and third for Ocean City. Vineland’s Mason Ganci was fourth and Tyler Chong fifth.
Kelly won the 100 butterfly in 1:05.52 with Neal and Denn second and fourth. Vineland’s Delgado and DeVito were third and fifth.
Pat Armstrong won the 100 freestyle with a time of 55.83 seconds, with Woodside and Bianchi second and third, both clocking in under one minute. Vineland’s Jake Murie and Ganci were fourth and fifth.
The Fighting Clan’s Merighi won the 400 freestyle in 4:48.64. Ocean City’s Koch, Nico Eafrati and Andrew Allegretto were second, third and fourth.
Ocean City took first and second in the 200 freestyle relay. Neal, Kelly, Bianchi and Agnellini won in 1:45.70 and Heritage, Abbott, Redmond and Levin were second. Vineland’s Mainiero, DeVito, Michael Pantilione and Jack Muric were third.
Tommy Armstrong got his second individual win of the day in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:04.45. Pat Armstrong was second and Woodside third. Vineland’s Mainierio and Tyler Chong were fourth and fifth.
Vineland’s Delgado won the 100 breaststroke in 1:21.30. Ocean City’s Bell, Redmond and Allegretto were second, third and fifth.
Neal, Bianchi, Woodside and Pat Armstrong won the final event, the 400 freestyle relay, in 4:00.34 with teammates Agnellini, Heritage, Kelly and Tommy Armstrong second. Vineland’s Merighi, Muric, Ganci and Delgado were third.
– STORY AND PHOTOS By DAVID NAHAN, Sentinel staff