Impressive depth helped the Pinkerton Academy boys’ swim team collect its first state championship since 2008 at the University of New Hampshire in Durham Saturday, Feb. 21.
The Astro guys scored 216 points to win the Division I crown, with runner-up Exeter 34 points behind scoring 182.
The PA coach, Ed Faszewski was reached at Disney World in the wake of the Astro victory.
“Winning was definitely within the realm of possibilities,” said Faszewski. “I scored out the meet ahead of time to see where we’d be in relation to the top teams – those being Exeter and Bishop Guertin – if we had our usual performances, and looking at it that way we were behind by about 19 points. So I told the kids that if they could all think in terms of moving up a few places it could make all the difference for us. And that’s what happened. They performed great.”
Faszewski’s Pinkerton girls ended up seventh overall in their competition, which was won by the Dover High Green Wave.
BOYS
The title-winning Astro guys were led by Zach Denbow, who won the 100-yard breaststroke (time of 1 minute, 02.44 seconds) and ended up second in the 200-yard individual medley.
Pinkerton also got an important second place in the 200-yard medley relay, thanks to the work of that quartet’s members, Denbow and the Suwirjo brothers – Bernard, Hendrick, and Gordon.
Third places were delivered by Bernard Suwirjo in the 500-yard freestyle and the 100-yard breaststroke as well as in the 400 free relay.
GIRLS
Hannah Terry helped the Lady Astros by scoring a third in the 200-yard individual medley and a fourth in the 100-yard butterfly, and veteran standout Nicole Beals bagged several top-six finishes for her academy crew as well.
