ANDOVER — Last winter, Porter Mulgrew was in the stands watching the St. John’s Prep swim and dive team add another Division 1 state title to its growing dynasty.
On Sunday afternoon, he lived it. Factoring into 86 of the Eagles’ 330 total points — including a school record in the 500-yard freestyle — the talented freshman anchored a dominant performance for St. John’s Prep to clinch its 17th state crown in 20 years at Phillips Academy’s Pan Athletic Center.
Mulgrew put the finishing touches on a stellar day in the pool with a 3:12.75 in the 400-yard freestyle relay with Brendan Titley, Matthew Church and Wes Ross to have a hand in the Eagles’ only first-place finish of the afternoon.
“We knew we were going to come in with some outside smoke, so it felt good to cap it off and end it good. It felt good to just win it,” Mulgrew said, who was inspired to be an Eagle after witnessing last season’s title.
The Eagles didn’t require individual gold medals to blow away the competition, besting runner-up Westford Academy by 169 points. Newton North (160) and Concord Carlisle (143.5) weren’t far behind.
Instead, head coach Jeff Fiore’s squad combined for 95 points in the 200-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle to provide them with a comfortable lead.
“When you’re talking points, you could win a meet on a performance like that alone. So to do it twice is huge,” said Fiore, a 2008 graduate of the St. John’s Prep swimming program.
Scoring in the 200-yard freestyle was Titley (1:42.24, third), Ross (1:42.29, fourth), Church (1:44.61, fifth) and Charlie Sununu (1:52.35, 15th). Mulgrew (4:35.05, second), Ross (4:41.63, third) and Church (4:43.19, fourth) turned in a similar performance in the 500-yard freestyle.
Mulgrew’s mark in the 500 was good for a St. John’s Prep school record — and he did it competing against his cousin, Will Mulgrew, who finished under four seconds ahead of him to take first for Xaverian.
“It’s pretty cool to be having that conversation with a freshman,” Fiore said. “When you got three more years of doing this, it’s like, ‘OK. What else are we going to be able to do?’”
Mulgrew also took third place in the 200-yard individual medley (1:56.64). Titley took second in the 100-yard freestyle (47.44), also factoring into a second-place 200-yard freestyle squad (1:28.92) with Trow Stewart, Church and Ross to round out the Eagles’ top finishers.
It was too tall of a mountain to climb for Westford Academy, which claimed a title in 2023. Still, the Ghosts produced an array of finishes, highlighted by senior Owen Curtin’s crown in the 100-yard butterfly (51.74).
“I’ve been swimming my whole life and for years I’ve always chased that next fastest guy… And now to be that guy is amazing,” Curtin said, who withdrew from last season’s meet with a shoulder injury.