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STAMFORD, Conn. Darien Highs boys swim team made waves this season with an impressive 5-0 start, including wins over New Canaan and Wilton. Wednesday at the Darien YMCA, the Westhill and Stamford combined squad served notice that it, too, is a conference contender.
Westhill/Stamford dunked the Blue Wave, 99-87, to improve to 2-1 on the season. The victory illustrates the balance of the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, with Westhill/Stamfords only loss this season being to New Canaan. Greenwich and Staples are still unbeaten, setting up what should be one of the most fierce boys swimming seasons in recent memory.
I think that loss to New Canaan was a wakeup call for us, Westhill/Stamford coach Rick Lewis said. I thought we might have a little better depth than Darien. I knew it was going to be tight.
The Stamford swimmers got off to a quick start, winning the opening 200-yard medley relay with A.J. Schick, Cameron Yick, Jeff Anderson and Michael Hopkins. In diving, Stamford sophomore Sean Burston won a tight competition over Dariens Jackson McGoldrick and Lee Christensen.
Anderson (100-yard butterfly), Kareem Saleh (500 freestyle), Schick (100 backstroke) and Yick (100 breaststroke) won individual events for Westhill/Stamford.
Seans win was big and then Jeff and Kareem won their races, Lewis said. I thought we might be a little bit stronger at the end of the meet.
Stamfords swimmers still have a stretch of big meets. Its toughest two challenges could come on consecutive days, when it meets Staples on Feb. 3 and Greenwich on Feb. 4. Greenwich has dominated the league championships New Canaan in 2007 is the only other team since 1971 to take conference honors.
Were looking forward to it, Lewis said. Its a very tight league.
Meet results
Westhill/Stamford 99, Darien 87
200 medley relay Westhill/Stamford (Schick, Yick, Anderson, Hopkins) 1:42.61; 200 freestyle Bair (D), 1:49:93; 200 individual medley Janson (D), 2:03:3.; 50 freestyle Gould (D) 22.8; Diving Burston (W/S); 100 butterfly Anderson (W/S) 53.65; 100 freestyle Gould (D) 49.32; 500 free Saleh (W/S) 4:58.17; 200 freestyle relay Darien (Weeks, Ostberg, Gilhooly, Gillespie) 1:37.26; 100 backstroke Schick (W/S) 56.84; 100 breaststroke Yick (W/S) 1:03.69; 400 freestyle relay Darien (Bair, Janson, Baker, Gould) 3:22.86).
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