As it did in the regular season, the East Hampton High School boys swimming team placed fourth in the League II meet at Ward Melville High School last Thursday, behind the host school, Half Hollow Hills, which went undefeated in league dual meets, and West Islip, whose score included 39 diving points. Had only swimming events been counted, Craig Brierley’s squad would have finished third.
Tenzin Tamang, in the 100-yard butterfly, and Nicky Badilla, in the 100 backstroke, were runners-up. The 200 medley relay team of Badilla, Rock Hamada, Tamang, and Owen Robins, and the 400 freestyle relay team of Liam Knight, Robins, Luke Tarbet, and Badilla were third-place finishers. Knight, in the 100 freestyle, and the 200 freestyle relay team of Tarbet, Knight, Emmet McCormac, and Tamang finished in fourth place.
Brierley, in an emailed report, said that his swimmers turned in 22 lifetime best times at the meet, evidence, he said, that everyone had given his absolute best. “They reached for the greatest heights together. . . . Coach Brian [Cunningham] and I are continually humbled by the boys and their efforts. This year’s team did not disappoint.”
East Hampton will be well represented at the county meet on Saturday at Stony Brook University. Knight has qualified in the 200 freestyle. Badilla,
Nick Chavez, Knight, and Tamang will swim in the 200 individual medley. Badilla and Tamang will compete in the 50 freestyle. Badilla, Knight, Tamang, and Tarbet will swim in the 100 butterfly. Badilla, Knight, and Tamang will swim in the 100 freestyle. Tamang will be in the 500 freestyle, and Badilla and Knight in the 100 backstroke. Moreover, Bonac teams have qualified to vie in the 200 medley relay, the 200 freestyle relay, and in the 400 freestyle relay.