Portland Porpoise teammates Michael O’Donovan, Jacob Griffin, and Hwanhee Park have all given their verbal commitments for the 2016-2017 school year. O’Donovan will be swimming for Marist College, while Griffin represents Providence College and Park swims for Brandeis University.
Last year at Maine Class A Boys State Championships, O’Donovan helped lead Cheverus High School to a first place overall finish, taking second in both the 200 free (1:41.82) and the 500 free (4:47.14). Then, he teamed up with Griffin, Kevin Kane, and Shane Moore to win the 200 free relay (1:29.51) and with Griffin, Kane, and Tony Penk to take the 400 free relay in 3:19.31. Here are O’Donovan’s best times:
- 100 FR: 47.82
- 200 FR: 1:41.82
- 500 FR: 4:36.34
- 1650 FR: 16:07.63
Griffin, besides winning the 200 and 400 free relays alongside O’Donovan at Maine Class A Boys State Championships, took the state title in the 50 free with a 22.19 and second place in the 100 with 48.97. He also swims fly and IM events. Here are Griffin’s best times:
- 50 FR: 21.88
- 100 FR: 48.29
- 200 FR: 1:45.89
- 100 FL: 52.88
- 200 IM: 1:59.98
- 400 IM: 4:15.71
Last season, representing Greely High School, Park competed at Maine Class B Girls State Championships. There, she was the runner-up in four events, taking second in the 200 IM (2:13.85) and 100 fly (58.95). As far as relays, alongside Kate Dransfield, Madison Rawnsley, and Cat Maker, she split 28.92 in the 50 breast to take second in the 200 medley in 1:54.33. Her 200 freestyle relay with Maker, Lily Black, and Camilla Civiello won second in 1:44.33; she split 25.20 in the first leg. Her team ended up winning the meet by just one-half of one point. Here are her fastest times:
- 50 FR: 25.20
- 100 FR: 54.74
- 200 FR: 1:57.23
- 100 FL: 58.95
- 200 IM: 2:13.21
Last year’s Marist College Red Foxes took fifth place in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference. Time-wise, O’Donovan fits in well with the team and is already fast enough to have swam on last year’s ‘A’ 800 free relay. He also would have taken thirteenth in the mile and sixteenth in the 500 free at ECAC Championships.
The Providence College men took fifth at last season’s Big East Conference Championship meet. Griffin is also already fast enough to swim on his future team’s ‘A’ 800 free relay, plus he falls right into the middle of last year’s 200 free relay range (21.68 to 22.06). In addition, he would have taken fifteenth in the 100 freestyle.
The women of Brandeis University finished eighth last year at University Athletic Association Championships. Park should come in and make a huge splash on the team next year; her 50, 100, and 200 freestyle times each outswim all of last year’s Brandeis relay splits. She also would have taken twelfth in the 200 freestyle.
Go PPSC