Chaminade's Stephen McDonald wins two Federation titles at state boys swimming championship
Stephen McDonald, center, stands in first place on the podium after winning the 100-yard freestyle during the 2023 NYSPHSAA Swimming Championships in Ithaca, N.Y., on Saturday. Credit: Heather Ainsworth/Heather Ainsworth
ITHACA, N.Y. — Stephen McDonald had just finished his Chaminade swimming days in the pool at Ithaca College, and if there were a way to go out, this seemed like it.
The senior from Merrick emerged from the water with his first two Federation titles during Saturday’s conclusion of the NYSPHSAA and Federation boys swimming championships.
One was an individual title. It came in the 100-yard freestyle in an All-American consideration time of 45.07, McDonald’s personal best. The other came as part of a foursome. The Towson-bound swimmer anchored the 200 freestyle relay team after Brian Kern, Lucas Silva and Kieran Duffy took their turns. They finished at 1:24.58, another All-American consideration time.
“It’s everything I ever dreamed of since I started swimming in high school,” McDonald said. “It’s crazy to think that it’s over now. … It feels really good to get it done.”
McDonald also arrived second in the 50 freestyle in a personal-best 20.85 and followed Kern, Sean Atkinson and Duffy as the anchor of the third-place 400 freestyle relay team.
Flyers coach Angelo Pellicone saw that his team finished third in the Federation standings. He mentioned that the NYSPHSAA limits the CHSAA and PSAL teams to sending just league champions, and so he felt Chaminade could have done more without the restrictions.
“One hundred percent; our team and our (CHSAA) section,” Pellicone said..
Like McDonald, Nick Rhodes lived his dream day. The South Side senior won the 100 backstroke, his first NYSPHSAA and Federation titles.
“It means the whole world,” Rhodes said. “I’m so happy.”
Rhodes won in an automatic All-American time of 48.97, edging the top qualifier, Martin Perecinsky of Kings Park, by a tenth of a second.
“He came into the season focused on this meet,” South Side/Lynbrook coach Ryan Clark said. “He worked his underwaters. He worked his starts. He put everything he had into this 100 backstroke.”
Kellenberg’s Ryan Nunez did the same with the 100 butterfly after finishing fifth in 2022.
“He’s been working so hard for that fly all year,” coach Kevin Drury said.
This time, the senior from Merrick took the Federation championship in the event with an automatic All-American and personal-best clocking — 48.53.
“I’m so happy with my swim,” Nunez said. "To end my high school career on a high note like this is great. Coming into the meet, I wanted to go for the win. I came through with my goal.”
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.
