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Sports

2010-11 Preview: Sachem North Boys Swimming

Now 3-0 with nine to go, Arrows power through first leg of season in non-league competition.

The depth is the best it's been in a while according to its head coach, not to mention, several still-growing talents on the roster of the North boys swimming team have already proven themselves state-ready. So the mini-streak of early wins (the team stands 3-0 as of January 9), including a 10-point victory over Sachem East (98-88) on December 22, comes as no surprise.

But splashy entrances aside, the Arrows must now sustain that momentum against top rivals from Half Hollow Hills, Ward Melville, and future meetings with the other Arrows across town.

Last season's record: 7-2, League I

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Coaching staff: Larry Saposnick, head coach since 2004 and formerly the assistant coach to Bill Kropp, who took over as head coach for East's boys swimming program that same year.

Coaching the divers will be Al Scott, who head-coaches both the Sachem Swim Club and North's girls swimming program.

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Graduates: Two state-level competitors said goodbye to North this past June. Zach Coleman, who now swims for the UConn Huskies, was strong in the 200-yard individual medley (approx. 1:58) and 500-yard freestyle (4:45.12) spots. He placed fourth in the county for both events, according to Saposnick.

Evan Byrnes, now swimming for Florida Southern College, was the 2010 county champion in the 50-yard freestyle (22.63 seconds) and placed seventh countywide in the 100-yard backstroke (50.45 seconds). 

Returners: The biggest names thrown around among the returners are, not surprisingly, club swimmers (Islip Aquatics) with five years-plus experience in many instances.

Three-year varsity swimmer Greg Coleman (also, nine years in club) is a team captain who replaces his elder brother in the 200-yard IM and the 500-yard free events. Looking up to his brother as a mentor, he credits him with helping fix his stroke. In the winning meet against West Islip (54-46) on January 6, Coleman took second place in both the 50-yard free (24.76 seconds) and the 100-yard fly (59.36 seconds).

At the prior meet on Jan. 4 against Huntington, which North won 99-80, he took second in the 500-yard free, timing approximately 5:13 and second place in the 200-yard IM (2:10.06). He also anchored the winning 200-yard free relay team who won with a combined time of 1:41.43. His split in that event, 24.98 seconds, was close to a personal best for him, said Saposnick.

Stephen Penteck, a four-year varsity swimmer, seven-year clubber and fellow team captain, was a quadruple winner against Huntington on Jan. 4 in the 100-yard fly (57.99 seconds) and the 100-yard backstroke (59.58 seconds), sharing the victories in that day's 200 (1:41.43) and 400-free (3:40.50) relays as the second-leg swimmer. He then came back to sweep three events against West Islip two days later, winning the 100-yard fly (58.98 seconds), the 100-yard backstroke (58.38 seconds) and the 200-yard free (1.57.89). 

Chris Penteck, a sophomore, is building another Sachem swimming tradition alongside his older brother. Against Huntington, the three-year varsity and six-year club swimmer won the 200-yard free in 1:56.64, also taking second - just behind his brother - in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:00.61. At the West Islip meet, Chris again swam for another second-place finish against his brother in the 100-yard backstroke, timing 1:00.83.

James Donlevy, the "sprinter" of the bunch, is competing in the 50-yard free and 100-yard free spots. Yet another family boasting a strong swimming pedigree under the Black and Gold banner, his sister Megan was part of the school-record-setting 400-yard free relay team back in 2001 (3:37.69), and brothers Gerard (53.61 seconds in the 100-yard backstroke, set in 2006) and Kevin (1:29.48 in the 200-yard free relay, a shared record set back in 2002) also hold long-standing records.

It's now James' turn to keep the tradition alive, and the times speak for themselves: For the Jan. 6 meet, Donlevy won in both of his marquee events: the 50-yard freestyle in 23.46 seconds, and the 100-yard free in 52.98. He also joined Chris Penteck, Stephen Penteck and teammate Craig Lyon to win the 200-yard medley relay in 1:50.59. Also, the 400-yard free relay team that featured him, both Penteck brothers and Coleman won with a time of 3:35.20.

Scott plans to witness the younger Donlevy break one of the school's longest-standing swimming records - 21.63 seconds in the 50-yard free, which was set by Rudy Galindo back in 1987. "He'll be the next one up there," he said.

Four-year varsity diver Brendon Graham is the team's star on the board, who like his teammates, will be looking to break school records. Against the Lions, the senior came up big for the Arrows, winning with 210 points. Prior to that against Huntington, he won with a season-high 211.05 points.

Expectations: Saposnick was proud of the performances to date, but plenty of challenges lie ahead. Jan. 10 marks one of the biggest, when North will host the powerhouse Half Hollow Hills squad for its opening league meet.

In addition to other club-heavy lineups such as East and Ward Melville, Hills - reloaded with diver Ryan Savit (third in county, thirteenth in New York last season) and swimmer Matthew DeBlasio (last season the now-senior's achievements included, among many others, a state public school win in the 200-yard IM) - poses a significant threat. Against opponents like Hills, where decisive wins in certain events appear less likely, pacing and pushing to finish among the top five to secure scores will be critical.

Following the West Islip meet, Saposnick said the performances bode well for North as it gears up for the rest of the season: "We looked real strong and we are showing some big potential to be second-best in the county to Half Hollow Hills."

Key meets:

  • Hills @ North, Jan. 10, 4 p.m.
  • North @ East, Jan. 21, 4 p.m.
  • Individual Competition Meet @ North (invitational), Jan. 27, 4:30 p.m.
  • North @ Ward Melville, Feb. 4, 4:15 p.m.
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