LI swimmers made splash upstate: 'Feeling so much adrenaline'

Will Siegel, Bellmore-Merrick

To Siegel, there’s no better feeling than looking around the pool and not seeing anyone close to you.

At the boys swimming championships at Ithaca College, that’s the exact feeling the senior had in the 200 freestyle event. He finished first in public schools in 1:38.82.

‘I was really pumped up for the 200,” Siegel said. “I could tell I was doing well because I was looking around, and I didn’t really see anyone around me. I was feeling so much adrenaline when I touched the wall.”

A few events later, Siegel was the first to touch the pool wall once again. He finished first in the 500 freestyle with an All-American time of 4:27.53.

“I was definitely expecting a win more in the 500 than the 200,” Siegel said. “I’m really proud of myself, but more importantly, that all of my friends, family and coaches were proud, because that’s really what I strive for.”

Siegel didn’t only see success at the state level. He finished first in Nassau in the 500 freestyle (4:31.17) and second in the 200 freestyle (1:40.76).

“I’ve been working really hard all year, putting in a lot of effort and dedication,” Siegel said. “I’ve had a great group of teammates that have pushed me, so they’re very credited to my success.”

Siegel will continue his swimming career at the University of Michigan. 

“It’s definitely bittersweet,” Siegel said. “It’s going to be really hard to say goodbye to this great group of teammates and my coach. But I am also really excited to compete with Michigan.”

David Kushnirsky, Hewlett

When the senior gets in the pool for a race, his mind goes blank. Despite having nerves before competing at the state championships this year, all those feelings left his head when the race whistle blew.

Kushnirsky finished first in public schools in the 100 breaststroke in 53.95, a personal best time.

“I was getting in my head a little bit before the race,” Kushnirsky said. “I knew I was capable of winning, but I was getting nervous. But I don’t really think when I race, so when I got in the water, that all kind of went away and I was just focused on doing my best."

He finished just .01 of a second shy of the race’s state public school record, which was set by Jason Louser of Shoreham-Wading River in 2019.

“I was very happy when I saw my time because I really wanted to be under 54 seconds,” Kushnirsky said. “I didn’t know what the record was exactly, but I knew it was close. I got out of the pool and went straight to my phone to check. Even though I didn’t get it, I was still really happy.”

Kushnirsky is ready continue his swimming career in college.  

“I’m really looking forward to swimming at Dartmouth,” Kushnirsky said. “I’m excited to get close with a whole new group of teammates, and I’m excited for the competitiveness that lies at the collegiate level.”

Noah Cakir, St. Anthony’s

The senior couldn't have been more pleased with how his high school swimming career ended.

At the state Federation championships at Ithaca College, Cakir walked out of the pool a four-time Federation champion.

Besides being part of the winning 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay for St. Anthony’s, he took home two personal titles as well.

“It was pretty awesome bringing home a personal Federation title as well as one for St. Anthony’s,” Cakir said. “I think my final swim season ended just as it should have.”

He finished first in the 200 individual medley in 1:46.51, nearly two and a half seconds ahead of the runner-up.

“He just does what he does,” St. Anthony’s coach Dan McBride said. “He tore the pool up.”

Later that meet, he got back in the pool to compete in the 100 breaststroke. Not only did he win, but set a new Federation record, clocking in at 53.35. He set the record at 53.64 last year.

“I’m his high school coach, but I’m also a big fan of his,” McBride said. “To see him swim in the water and do what he does, and just being a fan of the sport, you just get completely excited.”

But Cakir wasn’t even focused on the time. He just wanted to win and add points for the St. Anthony’s team.

“At that point of the meet, we realized that we had a chance of winning the Federation team title,” Cakir said. “I was just focused on getting my hand on the wall first just to secure more points for the team.”

The Friars finished first in the Federation with a total score of 191.

Cakir will swim for Indiana University next year, where McBride says he knows he’ll accomplish big things.

“For him, he’s always looking for the next big thing, he always wants to go out and do even bigger and better things,” McBride said. “We’re all really excited for him in this next chapter, and he’s ready for it. He’s going to put on a show there.”

St. Anthony's relay team: Noah Cakir, James Augustin, Kean Hernandez and Lorenzo Aquilino

It was a picture-perfect ending for the seniors of the St. Anthony’s swim team. In addition to winning the team title, their relay team, made up of four seniors, won the first event of the Federation championship and took first in the title in the 200 medley relay in one minute and 31.03.

“I knew they were going to be competitive,” McBride said. “These guys were on a mission to give it their best shot for their final year.”

At the very end of the meet, that same relay group took home the 400 freestyle relay crown after finishing at 3:04.64.

“We knew that the 400 was going to be the make-or-break event for us if we wanted to win states,” Aquilino said. “We knew how important it was, so we went into it strong and confident.”

Cakir said that the group had wanted this since the beginning of the season.

“It was a goal we had for the entire season,” he said. “We wanted to win both relays and bring home a win for St. Anthony’s.”

The group of seniors is grateful that they were able to finish their St. Anthony’s swimming career with the memorable wins.

“We’ve gotten super close over the years,” Aquilino said. “Winning those relays together, it made it even more special.”