NHIAA Record Book Re-Written, Hanover Girls & Oyster River Boys Win DII Titles

2020 NHIAA DII Swimming & Diving Championships

  • Febraury 15th, 2020
  • University of New hampshire, Durham, NH
  • Short Course Yards
  • Results

TOP 5 TEAM SCORES

GIRLS

  1. Hanover – 203
  2. Portsmouth – 152
  3. Oyster River – 136
  4. Derryfield – 122
  5. Winnacunet – 116

BOYS

  1. Oyster River – 205
  2. Windham – 192
  3. St. Thomas Aquinas – 167
  4. Hanover – 127
  5. Portsmouth – 118

Girls Recap:

The Hanover High School girls took home the NHIAA Division II title last week, outscoring runner-up Portsmouth by 51 points. Hanover broke the state record in the 200 free relay, with Grace Wenger (24.89), Maraget Wenger (24.74), Emma Dunbar (24.85), and Jocelyn Hazen (25.47) teaming up for a 1:39.95. The time marks the first sub-1:40 in NHIAA history, breaking the previous record of 1:40.81 from Oyster River in 2017.

The same squad teamed up to win the title in the 400 free relay, swimming a 3:38.59. Hazen led that relay off in 56.20, with Grace Wenger swimming a 52.45 on the 2nd leg, Emma Dubar posting a 56.46 on the 3rd leg, and Margaret Wenger anchoring in 53.48. Another notable split in the race came from Windham sophomore Alexis Martino, who anchored in 52.94. That was the 2nd fastest split in the field, behind only Grace Wenger.

Hanover also picked up a win with diver Amelia Wallis, who posted a big victory in 1 meter diving. Wallis tallied up a total score of 385.05, besting the field by nearly 60 points.

Alexis Martino was the champion in the 200 IM and 100 fly, breaking the NHIAA records in both. Martino swam a lifetime best 2:03.32 to take the title. The sophomore came in under the previous record of 2:03.71, which was held by Kyra Sarazen from 2014. Martino got out to an electric start, splitting 25.43 on fly, and 31.00 on backstroke for a 56.43 at the 100 mark. She came home in 37.22 and 29.67. Martino actually took the 200 IM out faster than the 100 fly, which she also took the title in. In the 100 fly, Martino split 25.99 on the first 50, over half a second slower than her IM split. She came home in 30.01 for a personal best 56.00, breaking the previous NHIAA record of 56.89, which was held by Taylor Hogan from 2017.

St. Thomas Aquinas sophomore Megan Reich was another double event winner, also breaking NHIAA records in both her races. Reich kicked off her day with a 1:49.40 to win the 200 free by over 3 seconds. Reich was off her personal best of 1:49.07, but still came in under the state record of 1:51.01, which was held by Jessica Tucker-Mohl from back in 1995 at 1:51.01.That marks a 25-year-old record broken by Reich. She turned around and won the 500 free with a 4:52.34, touching first by 16 seconds. Reich again broke the NHIAA record in the event, which was also held by Tucker-Mohl from 1996, marking a 24-year-old record. The previous record was 4:52.88. Reich has a personal best of 4:48.87.

Kyra Chen (Derryfield) won the 50 free with a 25.03, coming in just off the 24.91 she swam to take the title last year. Her mark of 24.91 stands as her personal best. Hopkinton picked up a in the 100 breast, with sophomore Emma Hall swimming a 1:06.51 to touch first by nearly 2 seconds.

Sophie Cassily, a Portsmouth junior, claimed victory in the 100 back, swimming a 57.08. Cassily also led off the Portsmouth 200 medley relay, which went on to win the title. She posted a 26.81 on the backstroke leg, while Athina Martinez split 32.09, Sophia Dmytruk split 26.85, and Maggie Cassily anchored in 25.20, touching in 1:50.95.

Boys Recap:

Oyster River won the boys state title, though the team didn’t win a single event. Instead, Oyster River used depth and multiple scoring swimmers in every event to top Windham, which won two relays and diving.

It was St. Thomas Aquinas, however, that won the most events on the the day, taking the 200 medley relay, 200 IM, 100 free, 100 back, and 100 breast. The St. Thomas Aquinas boys kicked off the meet with a victory in the 200 medley relay. Sophomore Connor O’Brien led the squad off in 29.68, and was followed by Maxwell Reich (25.21), Thomas DePalo (26.02), and Aidan Faulstich (25.42) for a 1:46.33. It was Maxwell Reich‘s stellar breaststroke leg that made all the difference, coming in 1.85 seconds faster than any other breaststroker in the field.

Reich went on to win the 100 free, posting a personal best 47.25. Last year Reich swam the 200 IM instead, winning with a NHIAA record time of 1:53.37. This year, Reich went on to defend his title in the 100 breaststroke, breaking his own state record in the process. Reich swam a 55.72, touching as the only swimmer in the field under 1:00. He broke his own NHIAA record, which was held at his winning time of 56.62 from last year. He holds a personal best of 54.47 in the event, which he swam back in December.

St. Thomas Aquinas senior Mason Pomroy kept the win streak alive in the 200 IM, taking the event with a 1:57.03. Pomroy’s personal best in the event is 1:56.45, which he swam in November of last year. Pomroy went on to win the 100 back with a personal best of 54.98

Windham won both the free relays, featuring the same squad in both. For the 200 free relay, freshman Miller Swank led off in 24.66, with senior Jack Armstrong going next in 23.79, followed by senior Miles Swank with a 24.32, and senior Jeremy Bartley anchoring in 22.93 for a 1:35.70. The squad narrowly beat out Oyster River’s team, which swam a 1:35.72. Oyster River had opened up a lead of over a second heading into the final 50, thanks to a 23.20 split by Garrett Keslar on the 3rd 50.

The Swank brothers swapped places for the 400 free relay, with Miles Swank leading off in 53.92. He was followed by Armstrong, who split 54.51, Miller Swank in 53.01, and Bartley anchored again in 51.44. Windham finished the race in 3:32.88, beating out Hanover’s squad after a late charge by their anchor, Christopher Rieseberg (49.32). Jack Armstrong pulled off an incredibly rare feat for Windham, winning both diving and swimming events. Armstrong won 1 meter diving, posting a final score of 350.10 to come out on top convincingly.

Souhegan sophomore Miles Lim took the 500 free with a final time of 4:50.79, touching the wall first by 21 seconds. Lim was off his own personal best of 4:45.83. Goffstown senior Alexander Estano won the 50 free with a 22.62.

Milford junior Andrew Bartolomucci won the title in the 100 fly, swimming a 53.24. Bartolomucci pulled off a double event win on the meet, also taking the 200 free with a 1:46.68, holding off Miles Lim, who was charging on the final 50.

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