Andover Overtakes Boys’ Swimming at Home
This past Saturday, Big Red held up a strong fight against their biggest rival, Andover. Unfortunately, the boys were defeated with a score of 84-102.
This was the meet that Big Red had prepared for all season; however, Andover managed to strategically rearrange their relay teams after a tie was announced during the diving portion of the meet, leading them to come away with the win. Having gone undefeated this season, Andover is reputably the strongest team in the prep school division.
Nevertheless, there was much spirit from Exeter at this meet, as it was held at home. The team was eager and enthusiastic to compete against Andover. The stands were packed with friends and parents who had come to support the swimmers, some traveling from far places like Canada and Florida. Swimmers’ parents even provided the boys with an abundant supply of granola bars, fruits and sports drinks.
Upper Joel Lotzkar said, “There was so much excitement, making the meet almost feel like a mini championship.”
Prep Peter Tuchler agreed with Lotzkar, elaborating on the atmosphere of the day. “The meet was pumping with team spirit,” he said. “Everyone on the team put forth tons of effort, and left it all in the pool.”
“There was so much excitement, making the meet almost feel like a mini championship.”
For many swimmers, this was not only the last meet of the season, but also the last ever meet at their home pool. “It is a little sad to think about how this is our last dual meet together for the seniors and reflect on both our past experiences and what the future holds for each of us,” senior Thomas Gallup said.
Despite the loss, Exeter’s performances at the meet were outstanding, as many of the boys placed first and second in their events, with some even achieving season best times. The boys’ A 200-yard medley relay team that included seniors Graham Hazlett, Thomas Gallup, Will Belmont and Ernesto Brown placed first, which pushed the boys to a strong start.
The 50-yard freestyle, fast and furious, was probably the biggest highlight of the meet. Exeter’s Belmont and Andover’s Christian Alberga tied first place with an incredible time of 21.50 seconds. Belmont stole another win in the 100-yard freestyle, out-touching the second place finisher by a little less than five-tenths of a second.
In addition, Hazlett won the 100-yard backstroke and placed second in the 100-yard butterfly. Unsurprisingly, Gallup and Lotzkar grasped first and second place in the 100-yard breaststroke, similar to many other meets this season.
During finals week, the boys will be competing at the New England Interscholastic Championships, refacing all their largest rivals: Andover, Choate and Deerfield. The team has moved on from this loss and are thinking about the bigger picture. They will use the next two weeks to prepare for New England’s.
Lotzkar said, “This meet will serve as motivation to train hard over the next two weeks and swim fast at Interschols.”
Gallup shared a similarly optimistic outlook. “In the end, we’re just super excited and energized for Interschols to go out with a bang,” he said.