BHS Boys Swim Team Finishes Second at State Meet; 200 Medley Relay Team Sets Record
By Chris Johnson on April 20, 2021 via Connect-Bridgeport.com
For the second straight year, George Washington’s depth was a little more than Bridgeport’s in the race for a boys team championship at the state swim meet at the Mylan Park Aquatic Center.
The Patriots finished with 202 points to win the crown, while the Indians finished with 165.
The event couldn’t have started any better for the Tribe as the 200 IM relay team of Randy Keener, Luke Pinti, Mason Titchenal and Marcel Rodriguez won and set a state meet record with a time of 1:36.49, breaking the previous mark of 1:38.13 set by George Washington in 2015.
It also couldn’t have ended much better as the 4x400 freestyle team of Keener, Rodriguez, Titchenal and Reed Smith won the state championship with a time of 3:19.52. The state meet record in that event is 3:19.02.
In the 200 freestyle relay, Rodriguez, Titchenal, Pinti and Reese Allen finished in second with a time of 1:31.60. GW won with a 1:30.41.
“Our relays were amazing,” Keener said. “That’s probably the most fun I’ve had in the relays. We crushed the IM record and I didn’t think we would get that close in the 400.”
Keener won state titles in his two individual events as well taking the 200 IM with a time of 1:53.99 and the 100 backstroke at 50.99 an event that Keener again was close to the state record (50.86).
“You can’t really complain when you have the best time especially at a meet like this,” Keener said. “The backstroke, it is what it is and it’s not what I wanted. I didn’t feel good, it probably didn’t look good, I probably won’t even watch the video. I’m thankful I have another year.”
The Tribe also picked up points from Pinti who finished fifth at 2:08.06 and Reese Allen who was seventh at 2:11.16.
Pinti added a second-place finish in the 100 breaststroke, the closest race of the day. GW’s Ian Adler won at 59.38, while Pinti came in at 59.40.
Allen also placed in the 100 breaststroke, swimming a 10th-place time of 1:06.17.
Titchenal finished third in the 100 butterfly with a time of 53.28.
Other boys state champions were Huntington’s Henry Sheils in the 200 freestyle (1:44.50) and 100 butterfly (51.11) , Wheeling Park’s Owen Leary in the 50 free (21.74) and the 100 free (47.68), University’s Frank McCutchan in the 500 free (4:41.81).
Editor's Note: Photo of the state champion and record-setting 200 medley relay team. Pictured from left to right: Rodriguez, Titchenal, Pinti and Keener.
