The word “impressive” doesn't even begin to describe it.

It was impressive when the Auburn boys swim team went two straight regular seasons without losing a meet.

Winning the Section III, Class A title last season without a diver was also impressive.

Finishing third as a team, by winning half of the swim events with two less swimmers in the finals this season - also pretty amazing.

What they did last weekend at the NYSPHAA meet at the Nassau County Aquatic Center in Long Island was nothing short of remarkable.

Even with a couple of minor mistakes and a lack of depth, the Maroons finished seventh out of 85 teams in the state and represented Section III, as a whole, better than any other squad.

In its six events, Auburn left on Saturday with five top-10 finishes and two automatic All-American times.

Only a handful of Section III teams competed in the state meet over the two-day period that wrapped up Saturday night - and Auburn came into the meet as one of the smallest with only four swimmers.

Despite being the favorites to win a couple of events, the Maroons were pleasantly surprised to complete their season as one of the best teams in the state.

Ranked first in the state in the 200 medley relay entering states, the Maroons didn't disappoint on the larger stage.

They swam a 1:37.45 in the preliminary round, and a 1:37.44 time in the finals was good enough for second place and an All-American automatic time for competitors Pat O'Donovan, Lucas Zelehowsky, Preston Chaffee and Sean McNamara. Section II's Shaker escaped with the win.

“We were touched out by four one-hundredths of a second,” Auburn coach Rich Hamberger said with pride. “Unbelievable.”

Next for the Maroons, sophomore Zelehowsky took 10th in the 200 individual medley (1:57.95).

He also placed ninth (52.77) in the 100 butterfly.

“Lucas had a bit of an off meet for him,” Hamberger said. “But his 200 IM time was only two seconds off his best time, which was in sectionals and his 100 butterfly time was just a little over a second off.”

Senior co-captain Sean McNamara came in sixth (21.87) in the 50 freestyle, just .3 seconds off his first-place sectional time.

Then, there was the event that could have soared the Maroons higher in the state, but two separate and inadvertent mistakes by 100 freestyle swimmers, O'Donovan and McNamara, got them both disqualified from the event.

O'Donovan - who won sectionals - jumped the starting block too soon in the prelims, which prevented him from moving on to the finals. On the second day, McNamara (who was second in sectionals) was overly focused on swimming his event, and arrived at the starting area before he was slated to compete.

The mental error resulted in disqualifications for the remainder of his events - the 100 freestyle and the final event of the meet, the 400 freestyle relay.

“He wasn't goofing around or anything, he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Hamberger said. “He didn't know what to do after that - he just kept apologizing for messing up.”

As one of the Maroons best swimmers for the last several years, McNamara's last meet is simply an unfortunate blip on a solid career. Without him in the final event, the Maroons would have forfeited if it weren't for Zelehowsky's younger brother, Adam.

In his second season on the team, Adam Zelehowsky came to the state meet to support Lucas.

Little did he know, he'd end up playing a crucial part to the Maroons' success.

As the third leg, after Lucas and Preston Chaffee and before O'Donovan, Adam Zelehowsky swam a 50.88 to help lead the relay to a 3:19.15 finish - good enough for 10th place.

“I call Adam 'Pinch,' because that's what he came in for us in,” Hamberger said. “His split was commendable and I was really proud of him.”

Rebounding from his first day disqualification, O'Donovan took fourth in the 100 backstroke (51.61) to earn an automatic All-American time.

West Irondequoit senior Ricky Henahan won the event (48.90) and for the second straight year, broke the state record.

First places or not, this season's Maroons can actually be considered better than last's. Auburn may have finished the 2006-07 campaign with a 13-0 record and a sectional title, but this year's team had more first places in sectionals - and a better finish in states.

The teams that placed better than them in sectionals - Jamesville-Dewitt/Christian Brothers Academy (first) and West Genesee - finished 77th and 60th, respectively, each with six swimmers entering the competition.

Other Section III teams, fared better - Mexico in 43rd and Liverpool in 17th, but still nowhere near the Maroons.

With that on this season's resume, along with a 9-0 record and a dominating performance in sectionals, it's up there as one of the greatest Auburn swim seasons in the team's history. In Hamberger's 11-year tenure, the seventh-place finish in states was the best the Maroons have had.

“If we were on like we were on at sectionals, we would have done a lot better, but this year was a great accomplishment for this team,” Hamberger said. “They have a lot to be proud of.”