2024 NE OB NEPSAC Div 1 Championships
- February 28 – March 3, 2024
- Andover, MA
- 25 yards (SCY)
- Meet Results
- Team Scores
The New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Division I Championships saw a number of records fall over the course of the multi-day meet. Bringing together some of the top swimmers from New England’s private high schools, the championships closed out the winter swim season in style for schools in attendance.
Girls’ Recap
Mena Boardman threw down a showstopping performance in the 50 free at the NEPSAC Division I Championships, taking home the championship title in a time of 22.22.
A sophomore at Phillips Exeter Academy, Boardman secured a Nationals cut and took down three records with her time, setting a new N.E. Prep record, Division 1 meet record and pool record. The only record still standing is the National Prep record, which was set by Gretchen Walsh in a time of 21.59 back in 2020.
In addition to breaking records, Boardman lowered her own personal best time by .4 seconds and finished a full second and a half ahead of runner-up Elissa Kim’s time of 23.72. Boardman’s performance also helped her climb the national rankings in the 50; she swam the 7th-fastest time this season in the 15-16 national age group and is now ranked 24th overall for all-time top times in the age group.
Boardman is ranked 7th in the class of 2026 national rankings.
Boardman helped lead Exeter to its overall victory; she went on to post another top performance in her 100 fly, breaking the same three records and landing another Nationals cut. She won the event in a time of 51.62, a new personal best for her by over seven seconds.
Aside from her individual races, Boardman took home two more victories in the relays. She raced on the winning 200 medley relay in a time of 1:42.81 alongside teammates Audrey Zhang, Brianna Cong and Sophie Phelps. Exeter took down the Division I meet record and pool record; they already held the N.E. Prep record (1:40.90) from just a few weeks prior, swam by the same four athletes.
Cong, Phelps and Boardman were joined by Chloe Meyer-Blohm for the 400 free relay, taking home the championship title in a time of 3:24.70. Exeter’s relay once again took down the Division I meet record and pool record, narrowly missing their own N.E. Prep record (3:23.54) set earlier this season.
Other Event Winners
- Grace Wu, from Greenwich Academy, won the women’s 1-meter diving with 533.25 points. The only competitor to score over 500 points, she finished solidly ahead of runner-up Gage Calhoun, who came second with 461.90 points. Wu’s performance handed her the N.E. Prep record, Division I meet record and pool record.
- Loomis Chaffee senior Kayla Zeng took home the title in the 200 free in a time of 1:51.35, a little over a second off of her personal best. Zeng also won the 500 free, once again setting a new personal best with her time of 4:56.99.
- Ariana Zhao, a sophomore from Phillips Academy Andover, won the 200 IM in a time of 2:01.76, setting a new pool record and lowering her own personal best. Her success continued in the 100 back, as she touched first in a time of 53.61, another personal best for her.
- Andover snagged another win in the 100 free, with sophomore Alice Zha edging ahead of Phelps to secure the victory in a time of 51.06, a new personal best. Teammate Kim was not far behind, taking third in a time of 51.99.
- The Andover relay team of Zhao, Isabella An, Kim and Zha won the 200 free relay in a time of 1:35.05. The four of them shaved four seconds off of their seed time to post a new pool record.
- Suffield Academy senior Mackenzie Headley snagged the championship title in the 100 breast with a time of 1:01.67, touching two seconds ahead of runner-up Bryce Gold. Headley also broke the pool record with her prelims swim, finishing in a time of 1:01.55 and just missing her own N.E. Prep and Division I meet records from 2022 (1:01.52).
Top 5 Women’s Team Scores
- Phillips Exeter Academy – 376.50
- Phillips Academy Andover – 327
- Greenwich Academy – 284.50
- Loomis Chaffee School – 262
- Suffield Academy – 201
Boys’ Recap
More records fell on the men’s side of competition as Andover emerged victorious, winning with 428 points overall and extending their streak to eight consecutive championship victories.
Posting several new records was Andover senior Raphael Sibuet. He came away with one individual and one relay victory, as well as contributing three new pool records. Sibuet set the pool record in the 500 free during prelims, touching in a time of 4:26.30, before taking home the title at finals the next day with a time of 4:32.84.
Sibuet turned in another pool record during prelims in the 200 free, touching in a time of 1:37.00 and narrowly missing his own personal best time. He was runner-up in the event at finals, coming in with a time of 1:37.70 behind Exeter’s Ethan Guo, who won in a time of 1:37.23.
Sibuet was also part of the record-breaking 400 free relay team, where he was joined by junior Oliver Feng, sophomore Oliver Stabach and junior Pippin Kantakom. The squad secured the championship title in a time of 3:02.29, setting a new pool record and just barely missing the meet record time of 3:02.22, which was set back in 2020 by Phillips Academy.
Sibuet, Feng and Stabach were joined by freshman Jay Wei for the 200 free relay, where they edged out Deerfield Academy for the title, winning in a time of 1:23.28. Deerfield was just behind with a time of 1:23.36.
Also shattering multiple records was John Rusnock, a junior at Suffield Academy. Rusnock cruised ahead in the 200 IM, winning in a time of 1:45.94 and breaking the N.E. Prep, meet and pool records.
Rusnock repeated this performance in the 100 fly, securing the victory in a time of 47.56 and again breaking all three records. Both of his individual races also landed him summer Juniors cuts.
Brunswick senior Ryan Ohl had a top meet as well, sweeping the sprint freestyle events by winning both the 50 and 100. He broke the meet and record in the 100 with a time of 44.18, while he set a new pool record in the 50 with a time of 20.36, securing Juniors cuts in both.
Guo snagged another victory for Exeter in the 100 back, winning in a time of 49.07 and lowering the pool record. He currently holds the N.E. Prep record (48.13) in the event from a few weeks earlier.
Rounding out the list of record breakers was Daniel Seong, a junior at Andover, in the 100 breast. Seong took home the championship title in a time of 55.35, setting a new pool record and lowering his own personal best time.
Other Event Winners
- Exeter sophomore Nick Limoli won the 1-meter diving competition with 398.50 points, narrowly coming out on top as runner-up Nolan Jennings finished with 395.90 points.
- The 200 medley relay title went to Deerfield Academy’s team of Levi Tipton, Daniel Wareham, Giulio Migliarina and Will Hill. The relay won in a time of 1:31.04, surpassing the All American time standard.
Top 5 Men’s Team Scores
- Phillips Academy Andover – 428
- Phillips Exeter Academy – 327
- Deerfield Academy – 316
- Brunswick – 275
- Choate Rosemary Hall – 224
That John kid is one stud