West Hartford’s Conard High School Boys Swimming and Diving is 2-0 after a win over Berlin last week.

Matt Krol swimming breaststroke in the Medley Relay. Conard vs. Berlin. Boys swimming and diving. Jan. 5, 2024. Photo credit: Allie Moynihan

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Conard Boy’s Swimming and Diving improved to 2-0 on Friday afternoon after defeating Berlin High School 92-83 at Cornerstone Aquatic Center in West Hartford.

The Red Wolves kicked off the meet strong taking first and third in the Medley Relay (Nick Hall, Andy Filotto, Luke Scheinfeldt, James Auciello and Lucas Steadman, Matt Krol, Alex Petit, and Zach Goslee), giving them a 10-4 lead. Nathan Lowney went on to win the 200 Freestyle, and teammates Ethan Hunt and Kian Abolfath secured the third and fourth places, pushing the lead to 21-9.

Andrew Phan swimming the 200 Individual Medley. Conard vs. Berlin. Boys swimming and diving. Jan. 5, 2024. Photo credit: Allie Moynihan

The Red Coats notched their first win of the day in the 200 Individual Medley behind Logan Sczcesniak, however Conard’s Andrew Phan, Hall, and Scheinfeldt combined for a 2-3-4 finish to outscore Berlin and increase the lead to 30-16. A 1-2 finish by Filotto and Petit in the 50 Freestyle gave Conard a 20 point advantage at the break for diving.

Spectators were in for a show during diving, with third year diver, and three time state qualifier Auciello on the board for Conard, and State Open qualifier Aiden Melnyk competing for Berlin. While both divers were nearly flawless on the board, Auciello’s higher degree of difficulty pushed him to a new personal best and a 22 point victory over Melynk.

James Auciello competing in diving. Conard vs. Berlin. Boys swimming and diving. Jan. 5, 2024. Photo credit: Allie Moynihan

Coming out of diving, spectators were treated to the most exciting race of the day between Berlin’s Mason Durant and Conard’s Filotto in the 100 Butterfly. The swimmers were evenly matched on paper and both swam new personal best times, but in the end Durant was able to out touch Filotto by three one hundredths of a second.

Conard went on to win the next three events behind a 1-2 finish of Phan and Petit in the 100 Freestyle, Lowney in the 500 Freestyle, and the combined efforts of Phan, Filotto, Petit, and Lowney in the 200 Freestyle Relay. Berlin’s sole sweep of the 100 Backstroke, and Sczcesniak’s first place finish in the 100 Breaststroke were not enough to stop the Red Wolves, who closed the meet by winning the 400 Freestyle Relay (Lowney, Phan, Hunt, Hall).

Nick Hall swimming the 100 Breaststroke. Conard vs. Berlin. Boys swimming and diving. Jan. 5, 2024.Photo credit: Allie Moynihan

In addition to winning the meet, the following athletes qualified for the state tournament:

Nathan Lowney- 200, 500 Freestyle, 100 Backstroke

Andrew Phan- 200 Individual Medley, 100 Freestyle

Nick Hall- 200 Individual Medley, 100 Backstroke, 100 Breaststroke

Andy Filotto- 50 Freestyle, 100 Butterfly, 100 Breaststroke

James Auciello- Diving

Matt Krol- 500 Freestyle

Conard will travel to Wethersfield on Tuesday followed by a meet at Windsor on Friday.

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