Greenwich wins 8th Consecutive Boys’ CIAC State Open Championship

Boys’ CIAC State Open Championship

• March 17-19, 2022
• Diving: March 17, 2022, Middletown Aquatic Center
• Swimming: March 19, 2022, Cornerstone Aquatic Center
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Results/Team Scores

Greenwich High School dominated the first Boys’ Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference State Open Championships since 2019, winning their 8th consecutive title with 611 points. That was 244 points ahead of runners-up Pomperaug, who totaled 367 points to beat New Canaan by just 10 points. 

No freshmen won an event in 2019, which means there were no individual event champions defending their title this year. 

Final Team Standings – Top 10

1. Greenwich – 611
2. Pomperaug – 367
3. New Canaan – 357
4. Ridgefield – 318.5
5. Darien – 272
6. North Haven Coop – 237
7. Norwalk-McMahon – 232
8. Xavier – 230
9. Westhill-Stamford – 198.5
10. Fitch Coop – 187

Greenwich set the tone from the start, with the quartet of Liam Flaherty, Michael Dilascia, Justin Jacob, and Aiden Bucaria winning the 200 Medley Relay in 1:34.70. Jacob, a senior committed to NYU, placed 7th in the 100 back and 15th in the 100 fly individually.

Greenwich also won the other two relays swum. In the 200 free relay, Dilascia teamed with Colgate-commit Ryan Jee, Kegan Clark, and Andrew Dyment. Dyment held off a charging John Frankowski to out-touch Westhill-Stamford, 1:26.56 to 1:26.77. Frankowski split 20.94 after tying for 2nd in the individual 50 free four events earlier in 21.31. 

Greenwich’s 400 free relay quartet of Flaherty, Clark, Bucaria, and Jee ended the meet on a high note for the team. Flaherty led off in 46.81, which would have placed third in the individual event. Clark (47.53), Bucaria (46.35), and Jee (46.05) maintained the lead the entire race. They won by over a second, touching in 3:06.74 to Ridgefield’s 3:07.85.

In addition to the relay sweep, Greenwich picked up individual event wins in the 100 fly and 100 breast. Jee won the 100 fly in a personal best of 49.29. The only other swimmer to break 50 seconds was Barlow-Bethel sophomore Nate Oppenheim, who dipped under in 49.93. 

Bucaria, a junior, won the 100 breast in 56.31, just off his personal best of 56.29 which he set at Greenwich’s division championship meet earlier in March. He edged out Thomas Dupont by three-tenths for the win, with Dupont finishing in a time of 56.60.

Ridgefield’s Jack Clancy swept the mid-distance freestyles. He led from start to finish in the 200 free, touching in 1:40.63, almost two seconds ahead of runner-up Jack Haley who swam a new personal best of 1:42.41. 

Clancy won the 500 free in 4:34.34, off his best time of 4:32.88; but well ahead of Amherst-commit Ryan Roberts who touched second in 4:38.01. Roberts’ time was a personal best by over a second. Freshman Cody Lonsberry swam 4:40.02 to grab third. 

Hand’s Elliot Lee won the 200 IM in a personal best 1:48.86. Greenwich went 2-3-4 with Jee, Bucaria, and Flaherty all hitting new bests as well. Jee was the only one besides Lee to break 1:50, going 1:49.80 to break the barrier for the first time. 

Lee also won the 100 freestyle in 45.72. He dropped over a second from his previous best time of 46.81. He was also the only swimmer under 46. Middletown senior Andrew Strickland came second in 46.57. Riley Twiss hit 46.94 to round out the top three.

At the end of the meet, all the State and Open records remained standing. 

Other Event Winners 

• Greenwich also won the diving. Whitaker Grover scored 565.25 to defeat South Windsor’s Andrew Thomas Bell’s 552.60 to take first on the 1-meter board. 
• Iona-commit Mikel Palaj won the 50 free with a 21.13. Mike Kvashchuck and Frankowski tied for second in 21.31.
• North Haven Coop’s Brendan Conners swam 49.90 to win the 100 back. He was off the 49.15 he swam at East Winter Juniors, but touched over half a second ahead of Xavier senior Mitchell Wollen who finished in a new best time of 50.52.