‘Happy (and Winning) New Year’ for Malden High coed swim team with three more victories, unbeaten at 6-0

Sophomore Xiaode ‘David’ Xu wins three individual events, two relays in win over Revere Tuesday

  It’s been a “Happy New Year” for sure in the pool for Head Coach Jess Bisson and Malden High School’s coed swim team. The Tornado boys and girls squad started 2023 with three more wins and stayed unbeaten overall (6-0) and in the Greater Boston League (5-0) with three more GBL wins in January. Malden made it six straight on Tuesday this week (Jan. 10) with a 91-76 victory over a solid Revere High Patriots team in Revere. On Jan. 5, Malden topped Lynn English at home, 77-50, and to start the New Year beat Somerville at the Barry Fitzpatrick Pool at MHS, 87-70.

  “We have a group of hard-working swimmers who have stepped it up this season,” said fifth-year Malden High Head Coach Jess Bisson. “Our experienced kids are providing good examples and our less experienced swimmers are improving week-to-week.”

Malden knocked off Revere on the road Tuesday

  Against Revere on the road, Malden earned first-place finishes in the 200-yard medley relay, 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly, 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke, 100-yard breaststroke and 400-yard freestyle relay. Sophomore Xiaode “David” Xu won three events for Malden, a personal best and first time for a Tornado this season with three individual wins, and he also swam a leg in the winning 200 medley relay.

  Malden tri-captain Nathan Nguyen, David Xu, Kyle Lee and tri-captain Liam Bloom combined to win the 200 -yard medley relay at 1:55.84. Taking third was Malden’s tri-captain Wara Ramirez Morales, Hailey Tran, Sophie Tran and Tiffany Pham at 2:11.31. Taking second-place was Revere’s Juan Cano, Alem Cesic, Gavin Rua and Harrison Rua at 1:59.97.

  Revere’s Nathaniel Hill won the 200-yard freestyle event (2:21.25); Malden’s Nimon Jusufi was second (2:21.78); Revere’s Matthew Terrell, third (2:25.19), Revere’s Jannet Sehli, fourth (2:27.60); Malden’s Joyce Zhou, fifth (2:41.66); and Malden’s Ryan Li, sixth (2:46.17).

  Malden went ahead, 24-21, in team scoring on the 200-yard individual medley and never looked back, as the Tornados went 2-3-4 with Nathan Nguyen second (2:29.60), Hailey Tran third (2:30.13) and Tiffany Pahm fourth (2:59.55). Revere’s Cesic won the event at 2:26.03, and Patriot Harrison Rua was fourth at 2:30.12.

  Malden’s Xu won his second event of the day in the 50-yard freestyle, with a time of 25.19 seconds. Malden also took third and fourth: Joao Victor Santos (29.31) and Stanley Yip (30.26).

  Revere’s Gavin Rua was second (28.19); Jean Builes-Uribe, fifth (32.72); and Rayan Sarhrani, sixth (33.67).

  Malden went 1-2 in the 100 butterfly with seventh-grader Sophie Tran the winner at 1:07.35, senior Kyle Lee second (1:09.75) and James Zhou fifth (1:18.41). For Revere, Gavin Rua was third (1:13.94) and Matthew Terrell fourth (1:13.97).

  David Xu made it a trifecta for Malden with a win in the 100 freestyle at 56.28 seconds. Hailey Tran was fourth (1:03.50) and Tiffany Pham fifth (1:08.33). Revere’s Cano was second (56.38) in the closest finish of the day, Wilson Lipa, fifth (1:10.06) and Melanie Rodriguez, sixth (1:42.50).

  Revere’s Cesic won the 500-yard freestyle (6:00.25). Sehli was fifth (6:42.50) and Kathy Trihn sixth (8:24.00). Malden took 2-3-4 in the event: Bloom (6:21.62), Steven Leung (6:45.99) and Sophie Tran (6:55.53).

  Revere won the 200-yard freestyle relay with Harrison Rua, Hill, Gavin Rua and Terrell (1:55.47). The Patriots were sixth at 2:58.97 with Samantha Stevens, Adam Ashour, Isabella Cintro and Denis Quyoda.

  Malden went 2-3-4 in the 200 free relay with Nguyen, Stanley Yip, Nimon Jusufi and Joyce Zhou (1:57.00); James Zhou, Kyle Lee, Hailey Tran, Steven Leung (1:57.50); and Leo Chen, Aya Atazizi, Justina Lim and Ryan Li (2:37.95).

  Nathan Nguyen won the 100-yard backstroke for Malden. Teammate Allen Xiao was fourth, with a personal best time of 1:18.47. Wara Ramirez Morales was fifth (1:21.01). Revere went 2-3 and also took sixth with Cano (1:03.68), Lipa (1:15.95) and Trihn (1:31.06).

  Malden went 1-2 and 6th-place in the 100-yard breaststroke with senior Kyle Lee’s season-best 1:15.72 winning the event; Jusufi, second (1:19.10) and sophomore Gordon Zeng, sixth (1:54.16). Revere went 3-4-5: Hill (1:26.75), Harrison Rua (1:26.88) and Rodriguez (1:46.13).

  Malden’s Bloom, Sophie Tran, Pham and Xu were first in the 400 free relay. The Tornados were also third at 4:45.90: Leung, Santos, Morales and Joyce Zhou. Fifth-place (5:45.33) went to Xaio, Christina Mui, Kevin Lin and James Joyce. Revere’s Cesic, Terrell, Hill and Cano were second (4:10.59), and Patriots Lipa, Sarhrani, Builes, Uribe and Sehli were third (5:19.65).

Malden cruises past Lynn English at home

  David Xu won two events – 50 freestyle (25.87 seconds) and 100 butterfly (1:10.07) – and swam a leg of a winning relay to lead a GBL win at home over Lynn English.

  Malden went 1-2 and 4th place in the 200 medley relay to start the meet. Tri-captain Nathan Nguyen, Nimon Jusufi, Xu and Kyle Lee swam a 1:59.28 to win it. Second was Joslyn Nguyen, Hailey Tran, Sophie Tran and Tiffany Pham (2:06.88). Fourth was Tri-captain Wara Ramirez Morales, Christina Mui, James Zhou and Aya Alazizi (2:35.14).

  Malden swept the 200 free, 1-2-3: Joslyn Nguyen (2:30.15), Joyce Zhou (2:44.37) and Ryan Li (2:53.91). It was another 1-2-3 sweep in the next event, 200 individual medley. Winning was Hailey Tran (2:31.03); Jusufi, second (2:52.29) and freshman Danielle Harrington, third (2:59.39).

  It was 1-2-3 for Malden also in the 50 free: David Xu (25.87), Nathan Nguyen (26.03) and Kyle Lee (27.9).

  Nathan Nguyen won the 100 free for Malden at 1:05.97 followed by teammates at 2-3: David Xu (1:10.07) and Joao Victor Santos 1:31.56.

  Malden won the 100-yard freestyle: first for Hailey Tran (1:03.94), second for Pham (1:08.73), third for Stanley Yip (1:13.19).

  The remainder of the events were swum unofficially by Malden due to an insurmountable lead. Tri-captain Liam Boom was first in the 500 free (6:22.14), Sophie Tran second (6:33.59).

  In the 200 free relay, Kyle Lee, Stanley Yip, Santos, and David Xu were first (1:55.51); Joslyn Nguyen, Hailey Tran, Pham and Sophie Tran, second (1:58.39); and third were Stephanie Wong, Justina Lim, Sophia Hunyh and Leo Chen (2:32.65).

  Joslyn Nguyen was first in the 100-yard backstroke (1:14.61). Senior Allen Xaio was second (1:20.17) and Joyce Zhou third (1:21.77).

  Kyle Lee was first in the 100 breaststroke (1:15.91). Jusufi was second (1:16.88) and Kevin Lin fifth (1:41.75).

  Malden was 1-2-3 in the 400 free relay: Bloom, Santos, Allen Xiao, Stanley Yip, first (4:49.97); Nathan Nguyen, Harrington, Joyce Zhou and Leo Chen, second (4:51.91); James Zhou, Lanyu Liang, Ryan Li and Stephanie Wong, third (5:09.69).

Malden splashes past Somerville in first meet of New Year

  Senior tri-captain Nathan Nguyen won two individual events and was part of two winning relay races for Malden in a win over Somerville.

  Nguyen won the 100 butterfly (1:06.33) and 500 freestyle (6:15.97) and was on the 200 medley relay with David Xu, Kyle Lee and Liam Bloom (2:00.99). He also won the 200 freestyle relay along with Xu, Jusufi and Kyle Lee (1:51.93).

  In the 200 medley relay, Malden was third, with Joslyn Nguyen, Hailey Tran, Sophie Tran and Pham (2:86.88) – and fourth: Mui, Lin, James Zhou and Leung (2:91.83).

  Joslyn Nguyen (2:26.60), Santos (3:00.64) and Wong (3:08.84) were 2-3-4 in the 200 free.

  Bloom won the 200 IM (2:36.26) for Malden. Jusufi was second (2:49.71) and Joyce Zhou, third (2:57.69).

  Sophomore David Xu was second in the 50 free (25.56 seconds). Kyle Lee was third (26.75) and Stanley Yip fifth (31.33).

  David Xu won the 100 free (58:17); James Zhou, second (1:12.24) and Lanyu Liang, fifth at 1:23.88.

  Nathan Nguyen won the 100 butterfly (1:06.33); Sophie Tran, second (1:06.98), Liam Bloom, third (1:09.93).

  Nguyen also won the 500 free, followed by Kyle Lee, third (7:04.62) and Tiffany Pham, fourth (7:16.40).

  Malden won the 200 free relay (1:51.93) with Xu, Jusufi, N. Nguyen and Lee. Second were Hailey Tran, Stanley Yip, Santos and Sophie Tran (1:56.36). Malden was 2-3-4 in the 400 free relay: Bloom, Pham, Allen Xiao and Jusufi, second (4:41.56); Santos, Joyce Zhou, James Zhou and Joslyn Nguyen, third (4:53.69); and Justina Lim, Stephanie Wong, Lanyu Liang and Kevin Lin, fourth (5:54.93).

  Hailey Tran (1:20.36) won the 100 breaststroke and Jusufi was second (1:21.88).

  Joslyn Nguyen (1:12.41) was first in the 100 backstroke; Xiao, second (1:20.25) and Ruan Li, third (1:43.89).

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Malden faces Melrose next, at home on Jan. 18

  Malden is now off until Wednesday, January 18 when the Tornados host non-leaguer Melrose for a 4:00 p.m. meet at the Fitzpatrick Pool. The Tornados will then compete in the Greater Boston League Championship Meet on Thursday, January 26 at the Medford High Pool at 4:00 p.m. Malden then concludes the regular season with a 7:00 p.m. meet on Saturday, February 4 on the road at crosstown non-league opponent Mystic Valley Regional Charter School.