Huntington High School has had a boys’ swimming team for decades, but the Blue Devils have never won the Suffolk championship until last weekend at Stony Brook University.
Huntington and its combined teammates from Harborfields and Walt Whitman swamped the field, compiling 323.5 points to easily outdistance the nearest four competitors: Half Hollow Hills (255), Ward Melville (238), Sachem (199.5) and Connetquot/East Islip (185).
The combined Huntington-Walt Whitman-Harborfields boys swim team won the Suffolk championship. (Darin Reed photo.)
Huntington/Harborfields/Walt Whitman snapped Half Hollow Hills’ 15 year stranglehold on the county title.
Blue Devil greats Pierre Leroy, Evan Spagnoletti and Will Weber swam on the county champion 200 yard medley relay team, which touched first in 1:37.23.
Spagnoletti, Leroy and Huntington’s Jonathan Larice all helped the 400 yard free relay win the Suffolk crown in 3:15.69.
“I am stoked with the way I and everyone else performed,” Larice said. “This being my sixth and final year, winning the counties was a great ending to my career on Long Island.”
Larice also finished seventh in 200 free in a time of 1:51.42 and ninth in 100 free in 49.83 seconds. The senior also swam in the 200 free relay that placed fourth.
Weber shined, too. “This was the best meet in my career so far,” he said. The senior enjoyed career bests in both of his events.
“This was probably one of my greatest achievements,” Weber said. “What a sweet victory it was demolishing Hills.” He placed seventh in the 100 free in 49.64 seconds and ninth in the 200 IM in 2:06.30. The teenager also swam on the 200 free relay that finished fourth.
Pierre Leroy keeps getting better and better Besides his relay heroics, the junior finished second in the 500 free in 4:39.01and fourth in the 200 IM in 1:56.17.
Freshman Max Leroy has also burst onto Suffolk’s swimming scene, finished 10th in the 500 free in 5:19.68 and 13th in the 100 backstroke in 58.57 seconds. “For my fist season, I did not expect this much to happen. Going undefeated and winning leagues in my first year on the team is something that I will never forgot, along with the memories I made and the people I’ve met. I’m also really proud of the team and myself.”
Junior Evan Spagnoletti continues to dazzle in the pool as well. “Going undefeated, winning leagues and winning counties is truly incredible,” he said. “We are going to carry this momentum and excitement to states.” The teenager was sensational in the relays and also placed second in the 100 fly in 52.64 seconds and he finished fifth in the 50 free in 22. 21 seconds.
Sophomore Lucas Spagnoletti, who swam on the fourth place finishing 200 relay, has also emerged as a force, placed fourth in the 100 fly in 54.60 seconds and 12th in the 100 breaststroke in 1:05.71. “This was an amazing moment that I will always remember, but it was also bittersweet to swim with my fellow teammates and companions who were seniors for one last time,” he said. “The season is not over yet and I am looking forward to swimming in states later next month. We will continue to train harder than ever.”
Huntington’s Meg McConnell serves as the team’s head coach.