Sometimes, everything aligns. Friday night in Monroe, Brookfield High School (BHS) and its 20 team members defeated Pomperaug and its roster of 67 by a nail-biting score, 597-579. And to even make the meet more dramatic, as if it needed it, it would come down to the last relay and the last lap, as well with Brookfield’s Jeff Magin closing out with what would become a school and meet record in the 400 Freestyle Relay.
The meet started with a bang as the team of Magin, Matt Moen, Jack Dunn and Daniel Krentsa set the new meet record in winning the 200 Medley Relay in 1:38.01. From that point on the two teams would battle all night, with neither squad separating by more than 15 points until the final score.
Drew Krentsa, Seamus Deakin, Chris Greenwood and Rory Collins finished the 200 Free with a 3,5,7,12th place finish while Moen battled Barlow’s Sam Delise for the IM title, with Moen just missing out by 17/100th of a second.
After that Nick Miller was 5th and Griffin DeCaro was seventh while freshmen Christian Ferrarie chipped in at 15th as well.
The Bobcats dominated the 50 Freestyle with senior Jack Dunn winning and junior standout Luciano Souza taking second and sophomore Dan Krentsa finishing fourth. John Sayour rounded out the event scoring by finishing 12th.
Pomperaug significantly outscored the Bobcats in diving by having four divers to Brookfield's two, David Russo and Danny Dixon finishing third and eighth respectively. The Panthers then took the lead and were able to hold Brookfield off all the way through the 200 Freestyle relay, which Pomperaug won in a nail biting finish.
Before that happened, Magin won the Butterfly, setting both the meet and school record, and Drew Krentsa finished fifth.
In the 100 Freestyle Souza, Dunn and Dan Krentsa finished second, third and fifth and the Bobcats brought the meet back to them in the 500 free, with Moen, Deakin and Collins dominating at second, third and fifth.
Magin again set a new record winning the backstroke in 53.33 while Miller backed that up finishing second in a touch out of a Panther.
But it was with the Bobcats needing it most that Jeff Janofsky came from the 13th seed to finish fifth overall, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Decaro and Greenwood finished fourth and sixth and Christian Ferrarie and Phil Occhiboi 13th and 15th in the breaststroke after both were unseeded, but Pomperaug out pointed the Bobcats, setting up the 400 Free Relay finish that will not soon be forgotten.
With Souza leading off and taking a slight lead, Moen holding serve and Drew Krentsa doing the same, it came down to Magin to hold off Pomperaug hard-charging anchor Nate Zabarsky. Magin would record the second fastest split in Bobcat history on route to the four boys setting the school and meet record, setting off a wild celebration on the pool deck as the Bobcats were back on top as SWC Champions after a five-year run by the Panthers.
