REVERSAL OF FORTUNE: Malden High Swim Team avenges lone loss, tops Medford, 92-78

Tornados seeking 6th straight GBL title with just three league meets remaining

By Steve Freker

There’s no question that THIS meet was circled in big red marker on the Malden High Coed Swim Team’s schedule. After rolling through the past three seasons unscathed in league meets – on its way to a fifth straight Greater Boston League Championship last season – the Malden High School Coed Swim Team stroked their way into uncharted waters. In the season opener in December, Malden found itself on the wrong end of a GBL meet when Medford handed the Tornados a 91-75 loss.

For the for first time since he joined the program as a freshman in the winter of 2021, Malden senior captain Gordon Zeng was facing a new experience. Needless to say, it did not sit well with him or his team.

“We worked really hard to prepare for this meet,” Zeng said after Wednesday afternoon’s rematch with Medford, at the Barry Fitzpatrick Pool at Malden High.

It certainly paid off for Malden, in a full reversal of fortune, as the Tornado squad avenged the lone loss by nearly an identical score, 92-78. Wednesday’s victory increased Malden’s record to 4-1 overall, 4-1 GBL. Medford now has a 3-1 record (3-1 GBL), with its first loss of the season.

With three league meets remaining, Zeng and the Tornados have only one goal: a sixth consecutive Greater Boston League Championship. The first step toward that lofty – but attainable – goal was yesterday’s final home meet versus Lynn Classical, with the result coming after Malden Advocate press time.

“It’s Senior Night and we really want this win. We have to have it if we want to win the GBL championship. Everyone knows it,” Zeng said.

Zeng himself helped Malden get off to a great start when he swam the bell lap of a Malden win in the first event of the day, the 200-yard medley relay. He was joined in a winning foursome by Alden Deronja, Hailey Tran and Sophie Tran, combining for a time of 2:02.13. Malden also took third (Ian Ian Ho, Kevin Lin, Yinjie Wang, Katie Rice at 2:16.62) and fifth place (Tara Villatore, Ying Yan Xia, Sophia Huynh, Dante Federico at 2:44.86) to take the lead at 10-4 over Medford.

From then on, it was mix of newcomers and Tornado veterans propelling Malden to victory. Alden Deronja won the 200-yard Freestyle with a 2:12.06. Weiqi Du was third at 2:34.99 and Ho fifth at 2:41.48 as Malden went ahead of Medford, 20-10. Malden also went 1-3-5 in the 200-yard Individual Medley, as newcomer Katie Rice won it at 2:45.44, James Zhou was third (2:46.44) and Ying Yan Xia fifth (3:09.72). Malden’s lead went to 30-16. Medford had a strong finish in the next event, the 50-yard sprint, but Malden still managed to place second (Hailey Tran, 26.53 seconds) and fourth (Gordon Zeng, 28.81 seconds). Malden third-year swimmer Sophie Tran won the 100-yard Butterfly at 1:04.22, and it turned out to be a Malden 1-2-3 sweep as Yinjie Wang took second at 1:19.78 and James Zhou was third at 1:23.21. Malden’s lead ballooned to 48-30 at the meet’s halfway point.

Medford was not going away though, as the Mustangs stormed back to go 1-2-4 in the 100-yard Freestyle, but Katie Rice managed a third-place finish (1:05.10), and Weiqi Du pulled out fifth (1:10.05) to help Malden maintain a 10-point buffer at 52-42.

Deronja outlasted two Mustangs to win the all-important 500-yard Freestyle (5:55.56) with Ian Ian Ho taking important points at fifth (7:24.59). Medford made it two of three wins in individual events in the 200-yard Freestyle Relay, but Malden rallied and took second and third places to extend its lead. In second place were Haily Tran, Ivan Zhu, Weiqi Du and Katie Rice at 1:56.21. Taking third was the crew of Sophie Tran, James Zhou, Federico and Ho at 2:03.99.

Medford cut the lead as closest it would come all day, but Malden rallied for a huge 1-2-3 sweep in the next event – the 100-yard Backstroke – and regained a commanding lead, which carried the Tornados all the way to the team victory. Sophie Tran won with a time of 1:10.32. Yinjie Wang (1:21.81) was second and Ying Yan Xia was third at 1:23.82.

Hailey Tran’s win in the 100-yard Breast Stroke in the next event sealed the team win for Malden, and Medford took 2-3-4 for an event capture. Tran went 1:16.16 for first place and Ivan Zhu hung in for fifth at 1:29.09. Malden led, 86-70.

Malden closed out the meet taking second and third in the final event, the 400-yard Freestyle Relay. Alden, Du, Gordon Zeng and Wang got second at 4:24.44, and Zhou, Seradin Ayala, Zhu and Xia were third at 5:01.53.

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After yesterday’s meet with Lynn Classical, Malden closes out the regular season with two road meets: at Somerville High next Tuesday, January 21 at the Kennedy School at 4:00 p.m. and then the final meet on Tuesday, January 28 at Revere High (Garfield School, 4:30 p.m.).