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Hand Boys’ Swimming and Diving Places 2nd in Class M

The Hand boys’ swimming and diving team put forth a superb showing to finish in second place at the Class M State Championship last week. The Tigers scored 435 points as a squad to earn runner-up honors at Wesleyan University on March 11.

Will Porter took second place in the 200 freestyle (1:46.39) and the 100 freestyle (48.27) for Hand at the Class M meet. Dan Chen finished second in both the 200 individual medley (1:59.88) and the 100 backstroke (54.41). Both athletes earned All-State honors by virtue of these performances.

Hand’s 400 freestyle relay of Griffin Mascia, Sean Laragy, Porter, and Chen took third place with a time of 3:20.18 in states. The Tigers’ 200 freestyle relay of Laragy, John Beiner, Porter, and Mascia placed fifth (1:31.41). Hand’s 200 medley relay featuring Joe Starkey, Beiner, Chen, and Ian Looby finished 11th with a 1:47.42.

Jack Signorello finished sixth in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:04.82 for the Tigers. A few days before the swimming portion of the meet, Jessica Murphy scored 268.5 points to take 18th place in the Class M Diving Championship at Bulkeley High School on March 6.

On March 14, Hand was represented by several athletes at the State Open Championship at Yale University. The Tigers scored 55 points to finish in a tie for 25th place at the meet.

Chen finished 14th in the 200 individual medley (1:59.45) and 18th in the 100 backstroke (55.10) at the Open. Porter placed 15th in the 100 freestyle (48.76) and 22nd in the 200 freestyle (1:47.08). Hand’s 200 freestyle relay posted a time of 1:30.94 to finish in a tie for 17th place. The 400 freestyle relay placed 23rd at 3:23.57.

—John Lecardo