After a weather cancellation last weekend and nearly a week of uncertainty about rescheduling, the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School boys swim team finally made their way to Boston University on Saturday night to cap off its first ever undefeated season at the MIAA division two state championships where they earned the highest mark in the program’s history.
The Vineyard swim team placed 26th overall out of 48 teams and set three new school records in the 200-yard medley relay, the 50-yard freestyle, and the 200-yard freestyle relay.
“Overall it was an incredible season for these swimmers and I am so proud of all the achievements they have accomplished,” said Head Coach Jen Passafieume. “It was an incredible way to finish an amazing swim season. Now the swimmers get a much needed break for school vacation this week.”
In the first event of the meet and very first heat, the 200-yard medley relay was up. Junior Grady Stalgren kicked off with power to start the backstroke leg of the relay, coming up from underwater ahead of other swimmers for a new personal best of 27.85 seconds. Next up was Freshman Michael Calheta with his strong breaststroke for a fast split of 33.88. As Calheta touched the wall, Junior Ronan Mullin took over next for the butterfly leg, setting a new personal best of 24.78, before Kaua De Assis brought them home in the freestyle with his own new personal best split of 22.30. The 200-yard medley relay overall dropped 0.32 seconds from their previous time, breaking their own school record set at sectionals two weeks prior and placing overall 17th in the state.
Mullin had a physically demanding schedule, competing in the 200-yard inter medley, the 100-yard butterfly, and both relays. In the 200-yard inter-medley, Mullin placed 17th in the state, setting a new personal best of 2:08.48. In the 100-yard butterfly, Mullin was clocked at 56.19 seconds, only 0.82 off his school record time set at sectionals two weeks ago.
De Assis, the team’s senior captain, also competed in two individual events as well as both relays. In the 50-yard freestyle, De Assis broke his own school record with a new time of 22.71 seconds, placing 14th in the state, and earning the Vineyards first three points of the night. He followed up with a 50.52 in the 100-yard freestyle shortly after for another 14th placing, adding another three points to the Vineyards total.
The 200-yard freestyle relay was the last event for the Vineyard swim team and they had their eyes set on taking down a school record set two years ago by Nathan Cuthbert, Emmett Silva, Kaua De Assis, and Christian Flanders at 1:36.82. Mullin led off the race with a personal best split of 24.02, followed by eighth grader Moses Thomson who swam a new personal best at 24.11 seconds, earning the Vineyard a lead in their heat. Senior Anthony Pruciano swam the third leg in 25.04 seconds, just .05 seconds from his best, before De Assis anchored with a dominant 22.31-second leg in his very last event as a MVRHS student athlete. They finished with a final time of 1:35.48, placing ninth overall and shattering their projected 21st-place ranking.
The win earned the team 24 points overall, higher than any Vineyard relay team in program history.
While the Martha’s Vineyard swim teams season has come to an end, swimmers Kaua De Assis, Ronan Mullin, and Michael Calheta, as well as some YMCA MAKOS will be competing at the March Madness Age Group meet at MIT on March 22-23.
