Sports A dynasty with no end in sight

coach Guertin

BY JOE McCONNELL

The swimming dynasty continues at Marblehead High School under the direction of the team’s legendary coach Sue Guertin, who took over in 1989 after three years as Don LeClerc’s assistant.

Since 2006, the Magicians have owned the Northeastern Conference with the exception of the COVID year in 2020, when no scores were kept at the meets. They also won in 1992, and five more times in the early stages of the new millennium, before the current streak started 16 years ago.

But ever so humble, Guertin deflects any credit for the sustained success.

“It is not me; it’s the kids who learned how to swim in this town at a very young age, and it’s where they developed their love for the sport,” she said.

The 2022-2023 edition of the Magicians maintained that tradition after beating rival Swampscott at the Jewish Community Center on Jan. 26, 99-66. They ended the regular season with a perfect 7-0 record, making their predecessors proud.

Some of the highlights against the Big Blue included first-place finishes for Owen Torstenson

(25.19) in the 50-yard freestyle, Cole Brooks (54.05) in the 100yard butterfly, Cale Nelson (59.66, state meet qualifier) in the 100-yard backstroke and Bella Takata (1:12.12) in the 100yard breaststroke.

NEC meet championship rerun

On Saturday, Jan. 28, the Marblehead swimmers validated their regular season championship during the annual NEC Meet at the Beverly YMCA, where they crushed their rivals once again.

The girls compiled 570 points to win their portion of the meet, while the boys produced 584 points. The top 16 finishers in each event were credited with points for the team.

“It’s the first time that I can remember the boys beat the girls in the conference meet” (by one point after the diving event was calculated), Guertin said.

“As a team, they accumulated 1,154 points, not counting the

PHOTO diving competition that was held the next day at the Peabody YMCA. But on the way home from Beverly, the team was triumphantly singing ‘We are the Champions.’”

Singing the song was something generations of Marblehead swimmers have earned the right to do throughout the past four decades.

“This ends an amazing season for our swim and dive team, with many now going on to the sectional and state championships,” Guertin added. Both teams finished third in diving. The girls picked up 27 more points for a total of 597, while the boys added 14 more to their total to finish with 598. The Masco girls (370) and boys (345.50) swam a distant second.

Clementine Robbins, Song Waitekus, Finn Bergquist and Anna Coleman (1:55.81) and Sophia Weiner, Bella Takata, Madeleine Auerbach and Lucy Sabin (2:01.4) topped the ticket in the girls medley relay.

Jack Grady, Cale Nelson, Cole Brooks and Logan Doody (1:42.60, new MHS record) finished first in the boys medley relay. Ian Chemel, Gary Podstrelov, Gregory Podstrelov and Nate Rosen (1:51.79) ended up third.

Clementine Robbins (1:59.34, best time) and Weiner (2:04.29, best time) were the top two swimmers in the girls 200-yard freestyle. Brinleigh Callahan (2:07.66, best time) was fourth. Brooks (1:46.51, best time) was No. 1 in the 200-yard freestyle. Nelson (1:58.43, best time) and Chemel (2:03, best time) and William Wade (2:20.36, best time) accounted for fourth through sixth place.

BY JOE MCCONNELL

At the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association Invitational

Small Schools Meet at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center in Roxbury on Jan. 28, members of Marblehead coach Nolan Raimo’s boys and girls squads measured their individual skills against their Division 3-5 peers from across the state.

“It was an awesome meet for so many,” Raimo said. “It was essentially an all-state championship meet against half of the state, which means many placings should be higher at the Division 3 state meet (on Feb. 19).”

Girls 55-meter hurdles

Devin Whalen finished fourth with a new season best time of 9.18 in the finals after a 9.29 preliminary time. Claire Davis was 10th with a time of 9.54. Elise Burchfield ended up 30th with a time of 10.15.

Girls 55-meter dash

Cate Trautman broke the school record in the dash with a final time of 7.653. She ended up 10th overall. Ava Machado was close behind in 14th place with a time of 7.73, followed by Sadie Halpern (7.86) 32nd.

“It was a very fast field this year, with only .04 separating the fourth and 10th place finishers in the dash,” Raimo said.

“It was unfortunate that Cate and Ava missed the finals with impressive times, but they’ll have another chance at the NEC Championship Meet.”

Boys 55-meter dash

Harrison Curtis led the way in the dash for his Marblehead teammates with a 12th place finish after securing a new personal best time of 6.94 that officially qualified him for the state championship meet. He was followed by Thomas Carlson (29th, 7.03) and Jacob Bobowski (62nd, 7.23).

Girls shot put Lillian Reddy continued her incredible rookie campaign with a throw of 29-10.25, finishing 19th overall.

“This throw positions Lillian fifth all-time in indoor shot put throws at MHS,” Raimo said.

MHS VA rSIT y SCHEDULE

Wednesday, Feb. 8

6:10 p.m. Girls ice hockey vs. Winthrop at Larsen Arena, Winthrop

7:30 p.m. Boys ice hockey vs. Swampscott at Salem State O’Keefe Center

Thursday, Feb. 9

3:30 p.m. Alpine ski racing vs. TBA at Blue Hills Ski Area, Canton

4:45 p.m. Girls ice hockey (scrimmage) vs. Gloucester at Talbot Rink, Gloucester

Friday, Feb. 10

7 p.m. Girls basketball vs. Masconomet at Marblehead High

7 p.m. Boys basketball vs. Masconomet at Masconomet High

7 p.m. Gymnastics vs. Salem at Lynch-van Otterloo YMCA

7:30 p.m. Girls ice hockey vs. Shawsheen at Edge Ice Arena, Bedford

Saturday, Feb. 11

TBD

Girls swimming/diving Varsity sectional tournament at YMCA Sterling Center, Beverly

TBD Wrestling Varsity state sectionals at Methuen High

6:20 p.m. Boys ice hockey vs. Danvers at Essex Sports Center, Middleton

6:30 p.m. Gymnastics Girls varsity NEC League at YMCA Sterling Center, Beverly

Sunday, Feb. 12

TBD Boys swimming/diving Varsity sectional tournament at YMCA Sterling Center, Beverly

Monday, Feb. 13

3:30 p.m. Alpine ski racing vs. TBA at Blue Hills Ski Area, Canton

7 p.m. Boys ice hockey vs. Gloucester at Salem State O’Keefe Center

Tuesday, Feb. 14

7 p.m. Girls basketball vs. Gloucester at Marblehead High

7 p.m. Boys basketball vs. Gloucester at Gloucester High

Thursday, Feb. 16

7 p.m. Girls basketball vs. Swampscott at Marblehead High

7 p.m. Boys basketball vs. Swampscott at Swampscott High

7:10 p.m. Boys ice hockey vs. Shawsheen at Billerica Memorial High

Friday, Feb. 17

TBD Wrestling Varsity state finals at Methuen High

7:30 p.m. Girls ice hockey vs. Peabody at Salem State O’Keefe Center