Sports

PA Swimmers Easily Defeat the Big Green

Vince Lombardi once said, “Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” The Big Blue swimmers proved Mr. Lombardi’s theory to be accurate this past weekend when they pulled together to beat one of their most anxiously anticipated competitors – the Big Green of Deerfield Academy. Last year, the Deerfield boys beat the Andover squad in a close dual meet by only five points. Sore after losing to both Choate and Exeter, the Deerfield team entered the meet hungry. However, Coach Jaques Hugon was well aware of some of the Deerfield team’s best swimmers and carefully put together a line up that would truly utilize Andover’s solid depth as a team. The first event of the day was a ridiculously close 200-medley relay. The Andover team of Jeff Zhou ’06, Co-Captains Brian Fiske ’03 and David Hill ’03, and Paull Randt ’04 took on the top Deerfield group in what Hugon called a “battle royale.” Andover’s boys managed to win the event by a mere half second, while posting a best time of 1:40.72. Equally impressive in this race was the second-string team of Bryce Kaufman ’03, Charlie Thornton ’05, Gavin Kuangparichat ’03 and Tom Yeung ’04 who managed to take home valuable third place points. Proving that they were worthy competition, the Deerfield team tied up the meet in the first individual event of the day, the 200 freestyle. Deerfield’s Croatian swimmer Georgieveski pulled out a win in the event, but was influential in pushing Andover’s Tom Lesnick ’05 to a lifetime best of 1:50.74. Not willing to back down, the Andover boys got up on the blocks for the 200 IM on a mission. Co-captain Hill easily won the event with an outstanding time of 2:02.63. After the IM, Zhou, and Randt swam the 50 freestyle for the Big Blue. Zhou won the race with a time of 23.07 and Randt was able to take third with a time of 23.61. Next in the line up was the diving competition and Andover went into it with only a ten point lead over Deerfield. Divers JC MacMillian ’03 and Dave Wilkinson ’05 managed to take second and third respectively in the competition. Deerfield flyer Baity blew away the Andover swimmers in the 100 fly. However, PA’s depth really shined in this event as Randt, Gavin Kuangparichat ’03, and Eric Chung ’03 took second, third, and fourth place respectively. Inspired, Fiske won the 100 freestyle with an impressive time of 48.87, and Zhou followed suit, finishing second with a time of 51.61. Lesnick was up next for Andover swimming the 500 freestyle. Again, Lesnick was only able to hold onto a second place finish, but he also improved his personal time posting a 5:02.61. In an amazing display of stamina, All American Fiske anchored the winning 200 freestyle relay with a split of 21.64, catching up and passing the leading Deerfield swimmer. Immediately afterwards, Fiske was behind the blocks again to swim the 100 backstroke. He was tired, but managed to win. After the backstroke the score stood at 93-60 Andover and there was no mathematical way for Deerfield to make up the needed points to tie or win. With victory secured, the Andover manimals sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed watching Hill, Thorton, and Peter Stetson ’03 coast into a second through fourth run in the 100 breaststroke. To finish off the meet, the relay team of Kuangparichat, Chung, Yeung, and Lesnick place second in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:30.62. It was also Lombardi who said, “Winning isn’t everything it’s the only thing” and the Blue Manimals believe in that fully.