Hauppauge/Smithtown's Dylan Gallub wins 50-and-100-yard freestyle events at the inaugural Long Island Challenge
Dylan Gallub of Hauppauge-Smithtown competes in the 100-yard freestyle event during the Long Island Challenge held at Farmingdale Middle School on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. He won the event with a time of 47.24, as well as the 50-yard freestyle (21.57). Credit: James Escher
The vast majority of Long Island high school sports have at least some version of a Long Island championship. It’s an opportunity for the best in Nassau to compete against the best of Suffolk, sometimes before advancing further in a state tournament or, like in football, it’s the final test of the season. But there’s nothing like it in swimming and that’s something the local swimming community is trying to change.
Thursday featured the first event of its kind at Farmingdale Middle School. Hundreds of the top swimmers in Nassau and Suffolk competed head-to-head in the Long Island Challenge.
Dylan Gallub, a senior competing for Hauppauge/Smithtown, won the 50-yard freestyle in 21.57 seconds and 100 freestyle in 47.24. He was the event’s only double individual winner and said he wishes a Long Island Challenge event was around in previous seasons.
“I feel like this was a great opportunity for everyone and I feel like it should have happened a while ago,” Gallub said. “But at least it’s here and I hope it’s something to happen for upcoming years.”
Rich Lionetti, the Suffolk swimming coordinator and a coach for Hauppauge/Smithtown, played a key role in making the event possible and hopes it becomes an annual event.
“Every other sport has a Long Island championship and we feel Long Island has really, really good swimmers, some of the best in the state,” Lionetti said. “When we battle with Nassau and Suffolk, we do it upstate. So why not do it here first like football, baseball or basketball?”
Syosset had the top team score of 302 points, topping Hauppauge/Smithtown (242) and Hewlett (144). Team Nassau defeated Team Suffolk 1,452.5-762.5 in combined team scores.
“I feel today was a good start to something new,” Gallub said. “Suffolk vs. Nassau, everyone’s always talking about it but it hasn’t happened. Going up against your rival county, it’s going to make you want to go fast and you’ll have something bigger to represent.”
Ethan Placencia-Nazareno (Comsewogue) won the 200 freestyle in 1:43.62. Ethan Silver (Hewlett) won the 200 individual medley in 1:55.19. Ethan Chan (Syosset) won the 100 butterfly in 52.04. Will Siegel (Bellmore/Merrick) won the 500 freestyle in 4:38.74. Reid O’Connell (Syosset) won the 100 backstroke in 52.54. David Kushnirsky (Hewlett) won the 100 breaststroke in 57.23.
Hewlett’s team of Kushnirsky, Ethan Nus, Ethan Silver and Jonah Kirschbaum won the 200 medley relay in 1:35.97.
Hauppauge/Smithtown’s team of Gallub and younger brother Tyler, Alex Trzaskowski, and Chris Sweeney won the 200 freestyle relay in 1:27.07.
Syosset’s team of O'Connell, Chan, Ethan Chinea, and Allan Chu won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:18.40.
Thursday wasn’t an official Long Island championship and, even if it never gets bestowed a title like that, the local swimming community hopes to make this an annual event. Due to the timing of the postseason, coupled with the grueling club competition schedule many top Long Island swimmers experience, it’s a tough task to schedule a true Long Island championship. But Lionetti hopes it’s possible.
“It’s pitting the best kids in Nassau against the best in Suffolk and I think that’s awesome and that’s something we have to do,” Lionetti said. “It’s something we need to work toward - doing something like this - and showcase our best athletes.”
