By: TONY BELLISSIMO
In capturing their second straight championship , the Marines piled up 599 points, winning five of 12 events at Eisenhower Park's Nassau County Aquatic Center, including two of three relays. They left the rest of the contenders in their wake, as Garden City was a distant second, with 385 points, and Syosset finished third with 332.
"I'm not surprised that we won, but I don't know how we did it by more than 200 points," Davis said. "The kids did exceptionally well. They all scored, and we had almost 100 percent improvement on times. It was a great team effort. There's no other way to describe it."
Every performance was notable, but none more than the one turned in by junior Ben Gross, who won two individual events (50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly) and swam the leadoff legs of the winning 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays. To nobody's surprise, he took home the Most Valuable Swimmer award.
"What Ben did ranks right up there with any single performance we've had over the years," Davis said. "To play a part in four wins is rare. He was lightning in the 50 free, did what he had to do in the fly and gave us nice leads in the relays."
Gross sprinted the 50 free in 21.57 seconds to break a 30-year-old school record in the event. The county record of 21.20 may be within his grasp next season. He finished the 100 fly in 55.31, picking up the win when Syosset's John D'Arrico was disqualified for a false start. Gross touched out teammate Eric Gonzalez, who finished in 55.58. "It was very close," Davis said.
Gonzalez, a senior, came back to place third in the 100 backstroke, in 57.42. He swam season bests in both of his events, and handled the third leg of the 400 free relay that blew away the field, finishing in 3:23.23. Senior Mike Popper followed Gross, and senior Joe Farrell swam the anchor leg.
"I'm not sure what I'll do with the relays for the state qualifying meet," Davis said, referring to the team's next competition, on March 1 at the Aquatic Center, "but I have some options."
Farrell, in his first year of high school competition, provided one of many boosts for the Marines. He not only anchored both freestyle relays, but won the 100 freestyle, finishing in 49.88 seconds, and placed fourth in the 200 free. "Joe came to us fresh and experienced," Davis said. "He's progressed every day and still has room to come down on times."
Long Beach took early control of the meet when three of its divers finished in the top 10, scoring 49 points. Junior Phil Cabasino was second, freshman Adam Winerip third and senior Michael O'Connor 10th.
That was only the beginning.
Gonzalez, seniors Duncan Fraser and Pedro Carreno and sophomore Matthew Demerest comprised a 200 medley relay that finished second. In the 200 free, sophomore Billy Papetti was sixth, Popper ninth and senior Justin Salorio 12th. In the 200 individual medley, freshman Tim Corrigan was fifth, Demerest sixth, freshman Kyle Swan eighth and sophomore Ian Skudin 12th.
Fraser finished sixth in the 50 free, and sophomore Mike Skudin was seventh. In the 100 free, Popper placed sixth and Fraser was eighth. Papetti (fifth), Corrigan (seventh) and Salorio (eighth) came through in the 500 free, Swan was seventh in the 100 butterfly, Mike Skudin finished fifth in the 100 backstroke, and Demerest (seventh), Carreno (14th) and Ian Skudin (16th) scored in the 100 breaststroke.
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