Swimming: The second-best time of the year in the 200 freestyle was only good enough for second place; Meriza Werenski dominating top times list.
Against normal opposition, Amherst Regional High School swimmer Ciaran Dillon-Davidson would have won the 200-yard freestyle with ease last Tuesday.
Dillon-Davidson’s time of 1:50.63 was the second fastest in the Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference this season, but that didn’t even get him first place.
Minnechaug Regional’s stellar senior, Wiktor Karpinski, took the victory in a season-best 1:47.78. Karpinski is the defending Western Mass. and Division I state champion in the event.
Minnechaug won the meet 127-56.
One event where Dillon-Davidson does have the edge over Karpinski is in the 500 freestyle. The Amherst sophomore holds the best PVIAC time of 5:00.71, with Karpinski second at 5:05.12.
TOP TIMES: Karpinski holds the top times of the season in five events – 50, 100 and 200 frestyles, 200 individual medley, 100 butterfly. The others are held by Dillon-Davidson (500), Palmer’s Aaron Szczepanek (100 backstroke) and Minnechaug’s Michael Normoyle (100 breaststroke).
On the girls’ side, Holyoke Catholic junior Meriza Werenski is at the top of the list in all but two events. Teammate Delaney Dyjak is first in the 50 freestyle, while Easthampton’s Jessica Harper leads all backstrokers.
The top diving scores have been posted by Northampton’s Joel Bierwert and East Longmeadow’s Melanie Avdoulos.
The East Longmeadow girls lead two of the three relays (200 medley, 200 freestyle), while Holyoke Catholic leads the other (400 freestyle). The Minnechaug boys are first in all three.
SECTIONALS AND STATES: Before you know it, the Western Massachusetts and state meets will be upon us.
The Western Mass. championships are slated for Sunday, Feb. 12 at Springfield College’s Art Linkletter Natatorium. The girls meet begins at 9 a.m., while the boys event starts at 3 p.m.
The sectional diving competition for both genders will be held Friday, Feb. 10, also at the Linkletter Natatorium, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The following weekend will see the local qualifiers heading to Harvard University’s Blodgett Pool for the state championships. Division I boys begin things on Friday, Feb. 17 at 8:30 p.m. The next evening sees the Division II boys competing at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 19 belongs to the girls, with Division I at 2:20 p.m. and Division II at 7:30.