BOSTON — For the better part of the last 13 years, two neighboring Dual County League schools have owned the MIAA Division 2 state swimming championship.
If it wasn’t Wayland it was Weston.
This year, it was Wayland that won it, ending Weston’s string of three straight titles. Wayland was second for each of the last three seasons.
The Warriors finished with 296 points, while Weston was second with 243.
“It never gets old,” said Wayland coach Mike Foley. “We have a lot of respect for Weston and what they do. We push each other, along with the other DCL schools, Westford Academy, Concord-Carlisle, Acton-Boxboro, but some of them go up to Division 1.”
Wayland completed its sweep of the relays in the 400-yard freestyle. Peter Morris, Cole Snyder, Braden Leichliter and Aidan Huang won in 3 minutes, 16.29 seconds.
“It feels incredible,” Morris said. “We’re really friendly but fierce with them. We push each other hard. In all the times we won, that’s the first time we’ve swept all three. It really shows our depth.”
Said Leichliter, “It was really incredible. Winning all three relays was very special.”
This was Wayland’s first state title since 2020, when the Warriors captured their fourth straight championship.
After the 100 butterfly, which Longmeadow’s Evan Hong won in 50.33 seconds, Wayland and Longmeadow were tied for first with 98 points. Weston followed with 80.
Wayland and Weston both passed Longmeadow after the 100 freestyle, which Weston’s Alex Jylkka won in 47.66 seconds while Wayland placed four swimmers in the top 12.
The meet started off with Wayland edging Weston in the 200 medley relay 1:37.02 to 1:37.12, with the winning quartet consisting of Brady Foley, Alex Lu, Morris and Luke Kronke.
The two teams also went 1-2 in the 200 freestyle relay. Wayland’s Huang, Snyder, Lu and Kronke won in 1:27.97.
In the 200 freestyle, senior Nicholas Cavic of Seekonk broke a 29-year-old meet record, winning in 1:38.30.
“I felt pretty good about it,” said Cavic, who will swim for the University of Tampa next year. “It wasn’t a personal record but it makes me feel good about the rest of the season.”
Cavic is gearing up New England age group and Eastern zone championships in club competition.
For the second straight year, Cavic became a two-time state champion when he won the 50 freestyle in 20.85 seconds. He won the 200 and 500 freestyle last season.
“As I became taller and added more muscle I focused more on sprints,” he said.
Braedon Ando of Grafton won the 200 individual medley in 1:52.45, setting a meet record. Ando also won the 500 freestyle in 4:30.05. George Lam of Grafton won the 100 breaststroke in 59.04.
Collin Purcell of Minnechaug Regional won the diving with 522.05 points. Teammate Dawson Rice won the 100 backstroke in 51.18 seconds.
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