Mystic Valley Boys Swimming Captures 18th Consecutive CAC Championship

By Emily Brennan

The Mystic Valley boys swimming team continued their dominance in the Commonwealth Athletic Conference (CAC), securing their 18th consecutive championship title at the conference meet this past Wednesday and Thursday night. The Eagles emerged victoriously in both the overall large school dual meet, scoring 670 points, and the large school conference championship, where they secured 336 points.

The Eagles made a strong statement on the opening night of competition. Henry Cao led the way in the 500 freestyle, claiming first place with a time of 5:34.45. Kevin Capa followed with a third-place finish in 5:44.44, while Aarnav Tuladhar secured fifth with a personal best of 6:10.97.

Next up was the 200 Individual Medley, where the Mystic Valley boys secured the top three spots. Christian Antonucci took first place with a time of 2:04.43, followed by Kevin Sodeyama-Cardoso at 2:06.56 and Lucas Freitas at 2:11.93. Mystic Valley closed out the first night of competition by dominating the 400-freestyle relay, taking both first and second place. The winning relay team of Jaden Anthony, Antonucci, Sodeyama-Cardoso, and Dylan Phan clocked in at 3:24.83. Close behind them, the squad of Freitas, Lucas Santos, Cao, and Nicolas Caballero finished second in 3:36.25.

The Eagles carried their momentum into Thursday, adding six more victories to their tally. The 200-medley relay kicked off the night with a win, as Kyle Nguyen, Aris Catic, Brandon Wamala, and Adrian Chang finished with a time of 1:48.65. The Eagles’ second relay team of Mason Dovan-Sok, Tuladhar, Ryan Catic, and Brady Capa secured third place in 2:05.17.

Anthony delivered a standout performance in the 200 freestyle, winning with a personal best of 1:50.07.  Santos followed in second place at 1:56.54, and Caballero finished fourth with another personal best of 1:59.35.

Sodeyama-Cardoso added a first-place finish in the 100 butterfly with a time of 56.27, while Wamala posted a personal best of 56.35 to take second. Catic rounded out the event in fourth with a time of 1:02.89. The 100 breaststroke saw another victory for the Eagles, as Antonucci touched the wall first in a personal-best 1:00.20. Catic (1:07.81) and Tuladhar (1:27.97) also put up strong swims.

100 Backstroke was one of the final events, and the Eagles delivered another stellar performance, securing two more state cuts.  Caballero took first place with a personal best time of 59.22, earning his state cut. Nguyen improved his previous cut with a time of 59.65, while Freitas achieved his state cut with a personal best of 59.90.

Mystic Valley closed out the meet by winning the 200-freestyle relay in 1:32.12, their fastest time of the season. The relay team featured Anthony, Phan, Freitas, and Antonucci.

With another conference title secured, Mystic Valley now turns its focus to the MIAA Sectional Tournament, set to take place on February 9 at MIT.