OP Swim came into the matchup against Summit with a record of 3-1. The team had gained momentum after just winning against New Providence with a score of 99-71. The meet began with the 200 Medley Relay, where the team placed second, fourth, and fifth. This race race allowed Summit to be 6 points ahead. After some good swims by Charlie Kline, Luke Gardner, and Ben Fernando in the 200 freestyle, OP managed to close the gap to 4 points. Summit’s lead remained the same after 200 IM but it, unfortunately, grew to 12 points after 50 freestyle. Oratory was able to rest during the 15 minute break, in hope of some big races in the 100 butterfly and 100 freestyle.
Sadly, Summit got 1st, 2nd, and 5th place in the 100 butterfly, giving them a 18 point lead going into 100 freestyle. The two teams tied in points in the 100 freestyle but Summit gained 3 points in the 500 freestyle. In the 200 freestyle relay, Oratory got 2nd and 3rd but still gave Summit 2 points, causing Oratory to trail 20 point behind. Paul Knecht got 1st place in the 100 backstroke, but Summit placed 2nd, 3rd, and 5th, causing the event to be a tie. In 100 breaststroke, Summit’s lead grew by another 6 points, giving them a 26 point lead before the last race of the meet. In the 400 free relay, both A and B relays swam well but couldn’t secure 1st place. This ended the meet, in a score of 99-71.
Although OP Swim couldn’t clinch the victory, this was one of the closest meets in the past 15 years. Last year, the meet ended in a blowout of around 80 points, with Summit winning. This meet showed the entire team their potential and gave them hope for future meets against Summit.
