Mystic Valley Eagles soar to third place at MIAA D2 State Championships

By Emily Brennan

The Mystic Valley boys’ swim team wrapped up their season with a spectacular showing at the MIAA Division 2 State Championships on Saturday, Feb. 28 at Boston University, delivering one of the most historic finishes in program history. The Eagles soared to an impressive 180 points, securing a third-place finish, matching their best-ever placement while also setting a new program record for total points. This remarkable achievement eclipses their previous high of 176 points set in 2023.

The competition began with a strong showing in the 200 Medley Relay, as the team of Dylan Phan, Christian Antonucci, Kevin Sodeyama-Cardoso and Lucas Freitas placed sixth with a time of 1:40.76.

Jaden Anthony made a statement in the 200 Freestyle, dropping three seconds from his seed time to finish seventh in 1:47.53. Teammate Lucas Santos also competed, securing 20th place with a time of 1:54.58.

The 200 Individual Medley was a standout event for the Eagles, with four swimmers delivering strong performances. Antonucci led the charge with a lifetime best of 1:58.99, earning third place. Thomas Sodeyama-Cardoso followed closely, placing sixth with a personal best of 2:00.31, while Kevin Sodeyama-Cardoso and Brandon Wamala finished 11th (2:02.82) and 27th (2:13.33), respectively.

Thomas Sodeyama-Cardoso continued his momentum in the 500 Freestyle, placing fourth with a lifetime best of 4:59.18.

In the 200 Freestyle Relay, the Eagles’ squad of Anthony, Freitas, Phan and Sodeyama-Cardoso delivered a powerful performance, finishing fourth with a time of 1:31.44.

The 100 Backstroke saw Nicolas Caballero achieve a lifetime best of 58.96 to place 20th, while Kyle Nguyen made an impressive state debut, finishing 27th in 59.55.

Mystic Valley shined in the 100 Breaststroke, with Antonucci clocking a lifetime best of 59.30 to earn 3rd place.

Closing out the meet, Antonucci anchored the 400 Freestyle Relay, teaming up with Freitas, Anthony and Phan to secure fourth place in 3:21.39.

Reflecting on the team’s outstanding performance, Coach Andrew DiGiacomo shared his pride: “I am so proud of this group of boys. With everything being so uncertain at the beginning of the week due to the snowstorm, they took everything as it came and pushed through despite not knowing if they would be swimming or not. We worked hard and had a fantastic meet, and we are all very happy with the results!”

The Eagles’ remarkable season ended with a well-earned spot among the top teams in the state, a testament to their dedication and perseverance in the pool.