North Haven Caps Campaign by Swimming at States
The North Haven boys’ swimming and diving team recorded a pair of top-10 finishes when the Indians competed at the Class M State Championship last week. Senior captain JP Stoeffler took sixth place in the 50-yard freestyle for the Indians, whose 200 freestyle relay came in ninth place. As a squad, North Haven scored 127 points to finish 14th out of 21 teams in the Class M meet, which took place at Wesleyan University on March 11.
Stoeffler swam a time of 22.53 seconds on his way placing sixth in the 50 freestyle at states. The senior scored 23 points for the Indians by virtue of his performance. Stoeffler had previously won the 50 freestyle with a lifetime-best mark of 21.99 seconds at the Southern Connecticut Conference Championship on Feb. 27.
Stoeffler also competed in the 100-yard freestyle at the Class M meet. He finished with a time of 50.70 seconds to take 19th place and score six points. Sophomore Cameron Cargan swam a lifetime-best time of 23.13 seconds in the 50 freestyle to finish 18th and score seven points for North Haven. In the 100 butterfly, senior captain Kevin Powers shattered his lifetime-best mark in the 100 butterfly by swimming a time of 58.92 seconds. Powers finished 20th in the event to score five points.
North Haven saw all three of its relay teams compete at the state meet. In the 200 freestyle relay, North Haven’s team of Cargan, Stoeffler, junior Stephen Borrelli, and sophomore Tanner Powell took ninth place with a 1:34.81, scoring 38 points. The Indians’ 200 medley relay of Stoeffler, Powell, Powers, and Cargan scored 30 points by finishing 12th at 1:51.30. In the 400 freestyle relay, North Haven’s quartet of Borrelli, Powers, senior Tommy O’Connor, and freshman Kyle Borrelli posted a time of 3:50.86 to finish in 17th place and score 18 points for Head Coach Martha Phelan’s squad.
“I was pleased with our results at states. We ended our season with some lifetime-best performances,” Coach Phelan said. “As a team, we collectively achieved our season goals for personal bests in respective events, and to swim and dive with pride, sportsmanship and integrity. It was a great season.”
Prior to the Class M State Championship, North Haven began its postseason by competing at the SCC Championship, where the Indians finished in 11th place out of 15 teams with 287 points scored. North Haven had previously finished with a record of 4-6 during the regular season, notching victories versus Lyman Hall-Coginchaug (94-89), Hamden (94-89), West Haven-Platt Tech (94-87), and Foran (93-80) on Senior Night. The Indians’ overall record included a mark of 4-2 in their SCC Division II meets.