Even on the first day of the Section III, Class A competition, the Auburn boys swim team managed to outdo itself at Nottingham High School on Thursday.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Weedsport's Matt Crowley swims the final lap of the 200 IM during the Section III, Class B preliminaries at Nottingham High School in Syracuse on Tuesday afternoon. Crowley finished seventh in his heat with a time of 2:19.01.
Weedsport's Matt Crowley swims the final lap of the 200 IM during the Section III, Class B preliminaries at Nottingham High School in Syracuse on Tuesday afternoon. Crowley finished seventh in his heat with a time of 2:19.01.
Senior standout Pat O'Donovan managed to raise his own bar in the 100 backstroke, while five other Maroons qualified for the state competition in Long Island in March. Not to be left out on the team he swims independent for, Skaneateles student Reid Swartz will also make his first trip to states - finishing fourth in the backstroke by shaving three seconds off his previous best time.
As a team, Auburn finished fourth in Class A with 267 points, behind West Genesee (387). With just four swimmers that train with Auburn, Skaneateles came in 13th with 49 points. In his third event of the day, O'Donovan saved his best performance for his best event, when he outswam West Genesee's Pat O'Donnell - and everyone else - by more than three seconds in the backstroke, setting not only a new Auburn school record, but a new Section III record with a time of 51.80 - a record he set himself just last year.
The reigning Section III Swimmer of the Year earlier qualified for states in the 50 freestyle by coming in second (22.15), less than a blink's time behind Oswego's Drake Beckstead (22.09). Also finishing well in the event were Connor Kilmer in 11th (23.65) and Skaneateles' Brian Stokes-Cawley in 17th (24.73).
Also making waves for the Maroons was junior Lucas Zelehowsky - who will also, unsurprisingly, be competing in four events in states. Zelehowsky came in second in the 200 IM (2:01.41), behind his rival in Westhill's Dan O'Connor (1:58.13).
The Maroons junior touched in less than a second under the state qualifying time. Also in the event, Swartz took seventh (2:08.76), and Sean Doyle was 16th (2:22.89). Zelehowsky also won the 100 butterfly in 52.47, more than two seconds faster than West Genesee's Carson Elias. At states, Zelehowsky and O'Donovan will also swim the 200 medley relay, which came in second (1:40.59), with Justin Sawran and Connor Kilmer and the 400 freestyle relay, which won in 3:20.08, with Kilmer and Adam Zelehowsky. Every swimmer that qualified for states will get a chance to win Section III, and better their position in states, if they come in with a better time in the finals.
Adam Zelehowsky, a freshman, will also get a chance to compete in states in a couple of individual events if he can slightly better his times in the 200 freestyle and 100 freestyle, as can Kilmer in the 100 freestyle.
Adam finished fourth in the 200 free (1:51.38), with the qualifying time a 1:48.28 and sixth in the 100 freestyle (51.11), with the state time a 49.36. Kilmer placed eighth in the event (51.35), while Skaneateles' Matt Leverich took 11th (52.90) and Stokes-Cawley came in 15th (53.31).
Leverich also placed fifth in the 100 freestyle (1:53.57), while Brian Roe came in 17th (2:03.50). In the 100 butterfly, Sawran touched in ninth (59.87) and Gary Leader was 17th (1:07.42).
In the 500 freestyle, John Tehan took fourth (5:15.54), Sawran was seventh (5:20.36) and Greg Rifanburg came in 16th (5:49.14).
If Auburn's 200 freestyle relay can shave about seven seconds off its sixth-place time of 1:36.97, Roe, Adam Zelehowsky, Sawran and Leader will send the team's third relay to states. Overall, the Maroons will swim in nearly every event in the finals, which will begin at 12:30 p.m., Saturday, at Nottingham High School.
As a team, Auburn finished fourth in Class A with 267 points, behind West Genesee (387). With just four swimmers that train with Auburn, Skaneateles came in 13th with 49 points. In his third event of the day, O'Donovan saved his best performance for his best event, when he outswam West Genesee's Pat O'Donnell - and everyone else - by more than three seconds in the backstroke, setting not only a new Auburn school record, but a new Section III record with a time of 51.80 - a record he set himself just last year.
The reigning Section III Swimmer of the Year earlier qualified for states in the 50 freestyle by coming in second (22.15), less than a blink's time behind Oswego's Drake Beckstead (22.09). Also finishing well in the event were Connor Kilmer in 11th (23.65) and Skaneateles' Brian Stokes-Cawley in 17th (24.73).
Also making waves for the Maroons was junior Lucas Zelehowsky - who will also, unsurprisingly, be competing in four events in states. Zelehowsky came in second in the 200 IM (2:01.41), behind his rival in Westhill's Dan O'Connor (1:58.13).
The Maroons junior touched in less than a second under the state qualifying time. Also in the event, Swartz took seventh (2:08.76), and Sean Doyle was 16th (2:22.89). Zelehowsky also won the 100 butterfly in 52.47, more than two seconds faster than West Genesee's Carson Elias. At states, Zelehowsky and O'Donovan will also swim the 200 medley relay, which came in second (1:40.59), with Justin Sawran and Connor Kilmer and the 400 freestyle relay, which won in 3:20.08, with Kilmer and Adam Zelehowsky. Every swimmer that qualified for states will get a chance to win Section III, and better their position in states, if they come in with a better time in the finals.
Adam Zelehowsky, a freshman, will also get a chance to compete in states in a couple of individual events if he can slightly better his times in the 200 freestyle and 100 freestyle, as can Kilmer in the 100 freestyle.
Adam finished fourth in the 200 free (1:51.38), with the qualifying time a 1:48.28 and sixth in the 100 freestyle (51.11), with the state time a 49.36. Kilmer placed eighth in the event (51.35), while Skaneateles' Matt Leverich took 11th (52.90) and Stokes-Cawley came in 15th (53.31).
Leverich also placed fifth in the 100 freestyle (1:53.57), while Brian Roe came in 17th (2:03.50). In the 100 butterfly, Sawran touched in ninth (59.87) and Gary Leader was 17th (1:07.42).
In the 500 freestyle, John Tehan took fourth (5:15.54), Sawran was seventh (5:20.36) and Greg Rifanburg came in 16th (5:49.14).
If Auburn's 200 freestyle relay can shave about seven seconds off its sixth-place time of 1:36.97, Roe, Adam Zelehowsky, Sawran and Leader will send the team's third relay to states. Overall, the Maroons will swim in nearly every event in the finals, which will begin at 12:30 p.m., Saturday, at Nottingham High School.
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