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03/19/2017 12:00 AMTeddy Zeng finished his career with the Hand boys’ swimming and diving team by breaking his own meet record during a first-place finish at the State Open Diving Championship last week. The victory came a few days after the Tigers finished in third place as a team at the Class M State Championship.
The State Open Diving Championship took place at Middletown High School on March 17 and Zeng claimed first place with a score of 619.25 to break his own meet record of 608.25 that he set last season. Zeng defeated runner-up Justin Sodokoff of Greenwich (585.25) to win the Open title for the fourth straight year. Zeng finishes his high school diving career with victories at the SCC Championship, the State Championship, and the State Open Championship in each four of his seasons, having set the meet record at all three competitions. Previously at the Class M Diving Championship, Zeng scored points that went toward the Tigers’ team total at states when he took first place with a state record score of 636.25 at Bulkeley High School on March 9.
On March 16, the Tigers swam at the Class M Championship and finished the meet with 472 points to earn third place at Wesleyan University. Hand also finished third at the SCC Championship this year. At the state meet, sophomore Chris Wu claimed first place in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 53.03 seconds, edging out Avon’s Kyle Emery (53.23). Wu also finished fourth for the 200 individual medley with a 1:59.12. Additionally for the Tigers at states, Tyler Merritt placed third in the 200 freestyle (1:47.32), while Will Porter followed in sixth (1:48.38) and Nate Imbergamo was eighth (1:50.70). Porter finished fifth for the 100 freestyle at 49.62. Tyler Merritt paced to fifth place in the 500 free (4:52.22) and Paul O’Connor was seventh (4:56.11). The 200 freestyle relay group of Porter, Dylan Merritt, Tyler Merritt, and Michael Healey finished in fifth place for Hand with a 1:32.51. Imbergamo took ninth in the 100 backstroke (55.89) and right behind him in 10th was Dan Chen at 57.42. O’Connor finished third for the 100 breaststroke for the Tigers by posting a time of 1:00.97. Also, Hand’s 400 freestyle relay team of Porter, O’Connor, Wu, and Tyler Merritt finished third at 3:18.93.
Later in the week, Hand had several athletes compete at the State Open Swimming Championship at Yale University’s Kiputh Pool on March 18. The Tigers scored 136 points and finished in 14th place at the meet. Wu finished fifth in the 100 backstroke for Hand with a time of 52.68, while Imbergamo was 24th (56.88). Wu was also seventh for the 200 IM (1:56.11). Additionally, Tyler Merritt placed 20th for the 200 freestyle (1:48.42) and was also 20th in the 500 freestyle (4:53.60). Hand’s 200 freestyle relay from the Class M meet finished in 21st place at 1:32.77 and its 400 freestyle relay came in 14th (3:18.72). Also, O’Connor swam to 12th place in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:00.48 for the Tigers.
—John Lecardo