For the last four years, Holy Cross boys swimming and diving wound up being a Class S runner-up. The Crusaders were sick of being second-best, and they took the championship for themselves on Monday night.
Holy Cross won the Class S state title, the first in program history, with 709 points. Brookfield, which won the last two Class S championships, finished second with 542.5 points.
Junior diver Marcas Racevicius got Holy Cross off to a great start by winning the Class S meet last Thursday at Plainville High School. Racevicius (30 points), junior Chris Wihbey (3) and sophomore Patrick Giancarli (2) gave the Crusaders 35 team points before the swimming portion of the meet even started.
Senior John Tucker gave Holy Cross its initial first place finish of the night on Monday in the 100-yard butterfly (51.75 seconds). The next first place finish from the Crusaders was courtesy of the senior-laden 200 freestyle relay. Tucker, Ben Bowler, Alex Ford and Sam Mason combined to finish first in 1:28.95 in that relay.
Tucker, sophomore Derek Fantano, Chris Ford and Mason brought home the final first place finish of the night for Holy Cross in the meet’s final event, the 400 freestyle relay. The Crusader quartet combined for a meet record time of 3:13.45. Holy Cross’ bested Weston’s time of 3:13.53 put up in 2014.
The first place finishes were great, but Holy Cross put the meet away with a plethora of top three placements. The 200 medley relay of Fantano, Bowler, senior Alex Ford and Chris Ford took second to start the meet (1:38.79). Tucker (1:56.34) and Alex Ford (1:59.58) finished second and third in the 200 IM. Mason took second in the 50 freestyle (21.68), then Fantano (4:47.22) and Chris Ford (4:51.69) claimed second and third in the 500 freestyle. Fantano was third in the 100 backstroke (53.63).
Go beyond the top three, and you will still find plenty of good efforts from Holy Cross. Freshman Alex Corona was sixth in the 200 freestyle (1:50.47) and junior Adam Fernandes was eighth in the same event (1:54.23). Corona also claimed sixth place in the 500 freestyle (5:06.62). Alex Ford took fifth in the 100 butterfly (53.74) and Ben Bowler took seventh in the 100 freestyle (51.57). Sophomore William Tucker finished fifth in the 100 backstroke (57.56). In the 100 breaststroke, Chris Ford was fourth (59.79) while Ben Bowler placed seventh (1:02.22).
The amount of points earned per place for the top eight places in individual events are: 30 (1st); 27 (2nd); 26 (3rd); 25 (4th); 24 (5th); 23 (6th); 22 (7th); and 21 (8th). Those points add up, and they added up to the first state championship for Holy Cross boys swimming and diving.
