The Farmingdale Boys Swimming and Diving team finished their dual-meet season with two wins against Great Neck North and Sewanhaka. Coached by Ken Ilchuk, Randy Corcoran and Kelly Harris, the Dalers’ dual meet record for this year was a very competitive 10-2.
Against a small Great Neck North team, the Dalers went ahead early, never looked back and won 95-86. The 200 Medley Relay team of senior Bobby Zeno, freshman Kris Harris, senior Paul Giglio and senior James Farrington finished first, followed closely by the Daler team of freshman Vlad Surmenko, sophomore Mike McDanel, senior Yeimer Bran and senior TJ Murphy.
Junior Greg Carman won the 200 Individual Medley, senior Conor Burke won the 50 Freestyle and junior Mike Zelasny won the 100 Backstroke. Junior Joe Scaglione and senior Joe McCabe continued their rivalry finishing first and second in the 200 Freestyle. Nice swims were also turned in by senior Victor Quijano in the 200IM, Murphy in the 50 Freestyle, senior Gary Alaimo in Diving, Giglio and Bran in the 100 Fly, Farrington and senior Steve Makropoulos in the 500 Freestyle, Murphy in the 100 Backstroke and Harris in the 100 Breaststroke.
The Dalers then welcomed in the team from Sewanhaka and easily prevailed 92-88. Some of these final scores may seem close, however, when his team is ahead Coach Ilchuk swims certain events “exhibition” which means that only the other team scores points. This meet was also the last home meet for the Dalers and therefore was Senior Day. At this meet Coach Ilchuk tries to have only seniors swim in almost every event and at the end of the meet takes the time to introduce each senior individually, states some of their accomplishments and has them each swim a final lap in the pool where their parents await them.
Congratulations to seniors Gary Alaimo, Kevin Bocanegra, Yeimer Bran, Conor Burke, Jake Caiola, Chris Capozzoli, James Farrington, Paul Giglio, Rich Lane, Steve Makropoulos, Rich McBane, Joe McCabe, TJ Murphy, Victor Quijano, Kyle Young and Bobby Zeno on their great careers on Daler Swimming and Diving. Highlights included all senior relay teams and first place finishes by Farrington in the 200 and 500 Freestyle, McCabe in the 50 Freestyle, and Giglio in the 100 Fly. Strong swims were also had by Burke in the 200 and 100 Freestyle, Quijano in the 50, Alaimo in Diving, Bran in the 100 Fly, and Surmenko and Murphy in the 100 Backstroke. The 200 Medley Relay team of Scaglione, Harris, Giglio and Carman finished in less than two minutes.
The Dalers will compete in the Division Championships on Jan. 29-30 and the Nassau County Team Championships on Feb. 3-6. Both events will be held at the Nassau County Aquatic Center. Come down and support the team and follow their results at www.section8swimming.com.
The Division lineup, where you are allowed to place your four best swimmers in each event, should include Carman, Farrington, Quijano and Burke in the 200 Freestyle, Makropoulos, Zelazny, sophomore Justin Burtis and either Giglio or Surmenko in the 200 IM, Scaglione, McCabe, junior Tom Gehlbach and Murphy or Giglio in the 50 Freestyle, Alaimo, Young, junior Billy Specht and sophomore John Gonzalez in Diving, Giglio, Bran, Capozzoli and Harris or Mak-ropoulos in the 100 Fly, Scaglione, McCabe, Burke and Quijano or Gahlbach in the 100 Freestyle, Carman, Farrington, Makropoulos and Quijano or Murphy or Lane in the 500 Freestyle, Zelazny, Surmenko, Murphy and Zeno in the 100 Backstroke, and Harris, McDanel, Burtis and Prechtl or Surmenko in the 100 Breaststroke. Some of these Dalers are still competing among themselves for these championship spots or opportunities to swim. We know for sure that Coaches Ilchuk and Corcoran always give their swimmers the opportunities to succeed. What they do with the opportunity is up to them.
