Matt McManus anchors St. Anthony's record-setting 200 medley relay victory
From left, St. Anthony's Aaron Mendoza, Noah Cakir, Keanne Hernandez and Matthew McManus pose for a portrait after winning the 200-yard medley relay of the preliminary round of the 2023 NYSPHSAA Boys Swimming & Diving Championships in Ithaca, N.Y., Friday. Credit: Heather Ainsworth/Heather Ainsworth
ITHACA, N.Y. — Matt McManus wanted his 200 medley relay team not just to repeat in the Federation. The senior anchor also wanted this fast four for St. Anthony’s to post a time in Ithaca College’s pool that would break their own Fed record and stand a test of time.
After setting the mark last month at 1:32.58, these Friars indeed found what they were looking for in the water during Saturday’s finals of the NYSPHSAA and Federation boys swimming championships.
They defended the title and broke their record. The clock stopped at 1:32.29, also good for the meet record and automatic All-American status.
“I’m really happy with that time,” said McManus, a senior from South Huntington. “I don’t think anyone will break that any time soon. So I think I kept my word with that.”
Junior Aaron Mendoza (backstroke) and sophomores Noah Cakir (breaststroke) and Keanne Hernandez (butterfly), the lone newcomer, took the first three legs before McManus did the freestyle trip.
“They work as a family hard every day, and they really wanted to represent their school and also the Catholic school league,” coach Dan McBride said. “We’ve got 38 kids that aren’t allowed to swim here today that we had to leave home due to the (NYSPHSAA) not letting them swim (only CHSAA champions are allowed).
“So they really had something to fight for. It fired them up a little bit to do something for those other 38 kids who aren’t allowed here.”
Martin Perecinsky claimed the state and Federation titles in the 200 freestyle in an All-American consideration and personal-best time of 1:39.34. The Kings Park junior also placed a close second in the 100 backstroke in an automatic All-American time of 49.07, matching his personal best.
“I’m very happy how I improved from last year to this year,” Perecinsky said. “Making sixth place in the public school (standings) in the 2 free to now winning it is very impressive for me.”
Pierre Leroy also collected state and Federation titles in the 500 freestyle. The Huntington senior had an All-American consideration time of 4:32.42. Rocky Point’s Trevor Green arrived second.
“I’m happy to finally win the state title for my team, my family, my coaches and also myself,” said Leroy, who was also second in the NYSPHSAA and third in the Federation in the 200 freestyle. “To end off my varsity career this way, it’s really special.”
NYSPHSAA/Federation boys swimming and diving championships
At Ithaca College
Federation results
Winners and Long Island finishers among the top 10
200-yard medley relay — 1. St. Anthony’s (Mendoza, Cakir, Hernandez, McManus) 1:32.29; 8. Herricks (Ra. Rasquinha, Ro. Raquinha, Santana, Chang) 1:37.91. 200 freestyle — 1. Perecinsky (Kings Park) 1:39.34; 3. P. Leroy (Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman) 1:40.46; 6. Vinciguerra (Ward Melville) 1:41.89; 7. LaBianca (Syosset) 1:42.79; 8. Miao (Levittown/East Meadow) 1:43.51; 9. Cash (Long Beach) 1:43.82. 200 IM — 1. Gasiewicz (Lancaster) 1:49.04; 4. Cakir (St. Anthony’s) 1:52.33; 9. Nus (Hewlett) 1:55.14. 50 freestyle — 1. Cole (Horseheads) 20.51; 2. McDonald (Chaminade) 20.85; T6. McManus (St. Anthony’s) 21.17; 8. Weingarten (Connetquot/East Islip) 21.21. Diving — 1. Graham (Tottenville) 559.55; 2. Yang (Jericho) 544.05; 8. Kadota-Browner (Jericho) 471.95; 10. McCarthy (South Side/Lynbrook) 456.65. 100 butterfly — 1. Nunez (Kellenberg) 48.53; 3. Mendoza (St. Anthony’s) 49.50; 5. Silva (Chaminade) 50.22; 7. Giunta (Comsewogue) 50.50; 8. E. Spagnoletti (Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman) 50.59; 9. Kirschbaum (Hewlett) 51.17. 100 freestyle — 1. McDonald (Chaminade) 45.07; 5. Weingarten (Connetquot/East Islip) 45.72; 9. Vinciguerra (Ward Melville) 46.55. 500 freestyle — 1. P. Leroy (Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman) 4:32.42; 2. Trevor Green (Rocky Point) 4:35.50; 3. Miao (Levittown/East Meadow) 4:37.57; 8. Atkinson (Chaminade) 4:40.35. 200 freestyle relay — 1. Chaminade (Kern, Silva, Duffy, McDonald) 1:24.58; 5. Smithtown/Hauppauge (T. Gallup, Trzaskowski, D. Gallup, Holler) 1:26.03; 6. Connetquot/East Islip (Weingarten, Doran, Milligan, Smith) 1:26.13. 100 backstroke — 1. Rhodes (South Side/Lynbrook) 48.97; 2. Perecinsky (Kings Park) 49.07; 4. Mendoza (St. Anthony’s) 49.52; 5. Nunez (Kellenberg) 49.53. 100 breaststroke — 1. Henkel (Albany Academy) 54.33; 3. Cakir (St. Anthony’s) 56.17; 4. Buchen (Westhampton) 56.57. 400 freestyle relay — 1. Horace Greeley 3:05.53); 3. Chaminade (Kern, Atkinson, Duffy, McDonald) 3:07.53; 5. Connetquot/East Islip (Milligan, Doran, Smith, Weingarten) 3:08.71.
NYSPHSAA results
Winners and Long Island finishers among the top 10
200 medley relay — 1. Pittsford 1:34.35; 7. Herricks (Ra. Rasquinha, Ro. Raquinha, Santana, Chang) 1:37.91; 8. Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman (P. Leroy, L. Spagnoletti, E. Spagnoletti, M. Leroy) 1:38.23. 200 freestyle — 1. Martin Perecinsky (Kings Park) 1:39.34; 2. P. Leroy (Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman) 1:40.46; 5. Vinciguerra (Ward Melville) 1:41.89; 6. LaBianca (Syosset) 1:42.79; 7. Miao (Levittown/East Meadow) 1:43.51; 9. Cash (Long Beach) 1:43.82. 200 IM — 1. Gasiewicz (Lancaster) 1:49.04; 9. Nus (Hewlett) 1:55.14. 50 freestyle — 1. Cole (Horseheads) 20.51; 6. Weingarten (Connetquot/East Islip) 21.21. Diving — 1. Yang (Jericho) 544.05; 7. Kadota-Browner (Jericho) 471.95; 9. McCarthy (South Side/Lynbrook) 456.65. 100 butterfly — 1. Gasiewicz (Lancaster) 49.47; 5. Giunta (Comsewogue) 50.50; 6. E. Spagnoletti (Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman); 7. Kirshbaum (Hewlett) 51.17. 100 freestyle — 1. Quested (Rheinbeck) 45.12; 5. Weingarten (Connetquot/East Islip) 45.72; 8. Vinciguerra (Ward Melville) 46.55. 500 freestyle — 1. P. Leroy (Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman) 4:32.42; 2. Trevor Green (Rocky Point) 4:35.50; 3. Miao (Levittown/East Meadow) 4:37.57. 200 freestyle relay — 1. Waverly 1:25.58; 4. Smithtown/Hauppauge (T. Gallup, Trzaskowski, D. Gallup, Holler) 1:26.03; 5. Connetquot/East Islip (Weingarten, Doran, Milligan, Smith) 1:26.13. 100 backstroke — 1. Rhodes (South Side/Lynbrook) 48.97; 2. Perecinsky (Kings Park) 49.07; 8. Giunta (Comsewogue) 51.74. 100 breaststroke — 1. Henkel (Albany Academy) 54.33; 3. Buchen (Westhampton) 56.57. 400 freestyle relay — 1. Horace Greeley 3:05.53); 4. Connetquot/East Islip (Milligan, Doran, Smith, Weingarten) 3:08.71; 8. Hewlett (Nus, Shapiro, Golduber, Kirschbaum) 3:14.26.
Section standings
1. Section I 715.50; 2. CHSAA 408.50; 3. Section V 388.50; 4. Section XI 384; 5. Section VIII 272.50; 6. Section II 229; 7. Section VI 221; 8. Section IV 211; 9. Section IX 148; 10. Section III 110; 11. PSAL 89.
Section VIII team scores
1. Hewlett 71.50; 2. South Side/Lynbrook 53; 3. Levittown/East Meadow 43; 4. Jericho 35; 5. Herricks 31; T6. Long Beach/Syosset 18; 8. Bellmore/Merrick 3.
Section XI team scores
1. Connetquot/East Islip 101; 2. Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman 73; 3. Ward Melville 45; T4. Kings Park, Smithtown/Hauppauge 43; 6. Comsewogue 27; 7. Rocky Point 26; 8. Westhampton 19; 9. Half Hollow Hills 7.
