Watertown swims to 1st Naugatuck Valley League title since 2004, dethrones Woodland
· Yahoo Sports
WATERBURY - It was a league title four years in the making.
The Watertown High boys swim team won the Naugatuck Valley League championship with 899.5 points Saturday, comfortably outdistancing Naugatuck (738.5) and Seymour (726) at Kennedy High School. The Warriors ended Woodland's run of four straight league titles, and in the process, took home their first league crown since 2004.
Visit amunra.help for more information.
"We've been building since freshman year," said senior Anthony Mascolo, who earned the John Farrar Award as the meet's top swimmer with victories in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly. He also anchored two winning relays. "It feels so good to finally do it senior year and end it out with a bang."
Fellow Watertown senior Julia Campbell watched the team come together as a family in her four years, and she was happy to finally win a title.
"We have really good chemistry outside of the sport as well," Campbell said. "I think that's what made us tough to beat."
Watertown broke Woodland's unbeaten league streak earlier this season in dual-meet action.
"It's been a long time coming," Watertown coach Bryanna Murphy said. "Last year, we tried to go for it and we were just short, so this year's kind of awesome."
Besides Mascolo, Cole DeMond and Brennan Baker step up for the Warriors.
Top Performer
Mascolo won the 200 free in 1:47.81 and the 100 fly in 53.47.
In the 200 free, Mascolo fended off familiar foe Dylan Rubas of Naugatuck, who finished in 1:48.55.
"Me and Dylan used to swim at clubs together, so we know each other well," Mascolo said.
Watertown won two of three relays, with Mascolo touching the final wall in both victories.
The 200 free relay of Joey Nascimento, Baker, DeMond and Mascolo took gold in 1:32.35. The 400 free relay of Dereck Vasquez-Amaya, Noah Metcalfe, DeMond and Mascolo took gold in 3:25.93.
Mascolo credited his teammates after winning two relays.
"I can't ask for a better team," Mascolo said.
Big Day for DeMond
DeMond won the 50 freestyle in 22:84 and the 100 freestyle in 49.87. Like Mascolo, he was also a part of the two victorious relays.
"I'm so happy that after four years, we were finally able to win the NVL," DeMond said.
DeMond played a critical role in the 400 freestyle's third leg. Seymour's Max Kasperuk was in the lead, with Rubas from Naugatuck in pursuit. DeMond overtook Kasperuk right before the final 100 yards and never looked back.
"Having to catch up with [Kasperuk] was absolutely crazy," DeMond said. "Knowing that [in order] to win that relay, I had to catch up. It was just pure adrenaline. I loved it."
Other Winners
Watertown's Baker took top honors in 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:05.18. He was also part of the winning 200 free relay.
Holy Cross' Tavis B. Currier won the backstroke (57.16), and Rubas claimed the 500 free (5:02.82). Woodland's Jacob Beyer won the 200 IM (2:09.80).
Naugatuck's Liam Fernandez, Massimo Gramaglia, Tyler Andrejko and Rubas opened the meet with a win in 200 medley relay (1:43.79).
The Greyhounds' Jeremy Diggs earned the diving title Friday night with 314.25 points.
NVL Boys Swimming Championships
Team scores:1. Watertown 899.5; 2. Naugatuck 738.5; 3. Seymour 726; 4. Holy Cross 645; 5. Woodland 610; 6. Oxford 450; 7. Torrington 285; 8. Wilby-Kaynor co-op 108; T-9. Crosby 83; 9. Kennedy 83.
Individual results
200 medley relay:Naugatuck (Liam Fernandez, Massimo Gramaglia, Tyler Andrejko, Dylan Rubas) 1:43.79; 200 freestyle:Anthony Mascolo (Watertown) 1:47.81; 200 IM: Jacob Beyer (Woodland) 2:09.80; 50 freestyle:Cole DeMond (Watertown) 22.842; Diving:Jeremy Diggs (Naugatuck) 314.25; 100 butterfly: Anthony Mascolo (Watertown) 53.47; 100 freestyle:Cole DeMond (Watertown) 49.87; 500 freestyle: Dylan Rubas (Naugatuck) 5:02.82; 200 freestyle relay: Watertown (Joey Nascimento, Brennan Baker, Cole DeMond, Anthony Mascolo) 1:32.35; 100 backstroke: Tavis B. Currier (Holy Cross) 57.16; 100 breaststroke: Brennan Baker (Watertown) 1:05.18; 400 freestyle relay: Watertown (Dereck Vasquez-Amaya, Noah Metcalfe, Cole DeMond, Anthony Mascolo) 3:25.93.
This article originally published at Watertown swims to 1st Naugatuck Valley League title since 2004, dethrones Woodland.