NEWARK — Salesianum used its superior depth to its advantage to capture the program’s ninth straight state swimming and diving championship on Feb. 22 at the Rawstrom Natatorium. The Sals had one event win but piled up points in nearly every event besides diving to finish with 389 points.
It was the ninth straight state title for the Sals and the program’s 41st overall. Saint Mark’s wrapped up a strong season with 273 points for second place, and Wilmington Charter came in third with 203.
Tim Hanway earned the Sals’ lone victory in an individual event. He claimed the 500-yard freestyle. The Sals also won the next event, the 200 free relay with the team of Dylan Ristenbatt, Sebastian Hess, Emery Hess and Alex Tsakumis.
The team’s depth was evident throughout the evening. The Sals were third in the 200-yard medley relay and second in the final competition, the 400 free relay. They finished second, fourth and fifth in the 200 freestyle; second, fourth and sixth in the 50 free; third and fourth in the 100 free; and second, fifth and eighth in the 100 back.
Hanway was second in the 200 free, with Bradley Woolpert fourth and Emery Hess fifth. Other top-four finishers were Tsakumis in the 100 butterfly (fourth), Emery Hess (third) and Sebastian Hess (fourth) in the 100 free, and Ristenbatt in the 100 back (second). The members of the 200 medley relay were Ristenbatt, Nolan Burns, Tsakumis and Sebastian Hess. The 400 free relay team included Hanway, Woolpert, Connor Scheckner and Emery Hess.
Saint Mark’s celebrated with the second-place trophy, matching last year’s performance. The Spartans won two relay events, the 200 medley relay and the 400 free relay, the first and last events of the evening, respectively. Cameron Byrd led off both relays. He was joined by Aidan Walsh, Nick Lennon and Sean Kemske in the medley relay, and the other swimmers in the free relay were Lennon, Rex Haigh and Walsh.
Byrd finished third in the 200 freestyle and second in the 100 butterfly. Walsh came in second in the 200 individual medley and third in the 100 backstroke. The foursome of Grayson Bucksner, Logan Potter, Quinn Catts and Kemske took second in the 200 free relay.
Archmere’s team was 10th overall. The Auks had a sixth-place finish in the medley relay with a team of Logan Bustard, Declan McGrath, John Pyne and Quinn McCormick. Bustard was fifth in the 50 free.
Photos by Mike Lang.
