Severn swimming does it again

by Nelson Coffin

After recording a perfect 8-0 mark during the regular season, Severn took no prisoners at the B Conference swimming championship meet on Wednesday at McDonogh, compiling 454 points to earn a third straight title and fourth crown in the last six seasons.

Runner-up St. Mary’s (330), Archbishop Curley (259), Gunston (223) and John Carroll (164) rounded out the top five ahead of St. Vincent Pallotti (155), Indian Creek (134), Beth Tfiloh (154) and Key (101).

Nate Milchalski, Rhett Walker, Grey Cregan and Court Barrett fueled the Admirals’ fast start by claiming the 200-yard medley relay (1:44.53) over St. Mary’s Ethan Lowe, Thomas Tollefson, Luke Hayburn and Parker Norton (1:50.71).

Walker (1:44.40) then notched Severn’s first individual win over Gunston’s Dylan Kronke (2:12.31) in the 200 freestyle before John Carroll’s Gabriel Olszyk (1:57.66) prevailed over Gavin Monaldo (2:02.26) in the 200 individual medley.

Curley’s Daniel Kammer (23.64) edged Pallotti’s Nathanael Songu-Mbriwa (24.14) in the 50 free, although Severn returned to its winning ways when Monaldo (55.38) topped Indian Creek’s Brecken Nicholes (55.77) in the 100 butterfly and Barrett (47.76) touched the wall ahead of Nicholes (52.79) in the 100 free.

Walker (4:41.89) collected his second solo win by taking the 500 free over Hayburn (4:56.22), preceding the Admirals’ triumph in the 200 free relay (1:40.05) behind Lucas Olenec, Matthew Clabrease, Michalski and Cregan. Norton, Tollefson, Gavin Darr and Finnian Costello (1:40.71) were a close second for St. Mary’s.

Barrett (52.23) kept Severn’s streak intact by just nicking Hayburn (52.56) in the 100 backstroke until Olszyk (57.71) struck gold in the 100 breastroke, downing the Admirals’ Reid Gonzalez (1:14.25).

The champs finished with a flourish in the 400 free relay (3:21.81) with Barrett, Callum Olenec, Monaldo and Walker taking charge ahead of Parker, Lowe, Hayburn and William Cylc (3:48.60).

Severn coach Erin Domenech said that having 24 swimmers on the roster helped the Admirals’ cause.

Limited by one-hour practice sessions at the Severna Park Community Center, her swimmers have been proficient in making the most of their time in the pool — and in the championship meet.

“We could place three swimmers in the top 16,” she said. “We were confident, but we couldn’t take anything for granted. They’ve seen it before — somebody gets sick, or disqualified. We were locked in, but nothing is written in stone. We were able to get them to do what we needed.”

Although they will be losing Loyola University Maryland commit Barrett and fellow seniors Callum Olenec and Tyler Monaldo to graduation this spring, the Admirals have reasons to be optimistic about next winter’s title chase and a chance to inch closer to St. Mary’s five-year reign from 2015 to 2019.

Team dinners and charitable ventures, like raising $2,000 for the Polar Bear Plunge for a pledge to enter the water up to their knees in the Chesapeake Bay on a day when temperatures hovered in the mid 20’s, are all part of what is turning into something special at Severn.

“We have a pretty good culture,” Domenech said. “And the boys have bought into what we’re selling.”