By BRIAN JENNINGS
STAFF WRITER
The Blue Knight swimming and diving team continued to roll through their divisional foes by remaining undefeated on the year with their 10th win in a 95-86 victory at Farmington on Tuesday, Feb. 14.
“We knew that Farmington got the better of us last year, but we had avenged all those losses from last year to this point in the season,” said Southington coach Evan Tuttle. “We were ready, prepared, and aggressive in the meet, posting a good number of best times.”
Tuesday night was Farmington’s senior night, as the Indians were celebrating 24 seniors in the meet.
“I told the team that Farmington was going to show up ready to go,” the coach said. “You can guarantee that they were going to be excited, and their energy level was going to be high. We had to match it or eclipse it, and I think we rose to that challenge.”
Southington never trailed in the meet and clinched the win with two events remaining, achieving first, second, and fourth-place finishes simultaneously in three events.
The following finished first: Derek Melanson in the 200 individual medley (2:12.48); PJ Ramsey in the 100 fly (59.88); Tyler Heidgerd in the 500 freestyle (5:27.17); Evan Bender in the 100 backstroke (1:00.86); Brendon Egan, Joe Savarese, Ramsey, and Bender in the 200 medley relay (1:49.06); and Zack Blake, Brian Egan, Bender, and Heidgerd in the 400 freestyle relay (3:41.01).
After missing most of the season with an injury he had suffered before the season began, Galayda qualified for the Class LL meet by finishing first with a score of 226.95 in diving in his first meet back. This was Galayda’s first official competition of the season after suffering an injury shortly after the Bulkeley Relays scrimmage.
“I knew he was going to be up above 200, just because he has such a high degree of difficulty for his dives,” said Tuttle. “If he lands them in any sort of decent manner, he’s going to score high points. He landed them more so than decent.”
The Knights will close out the regular season at NW Catholic on Tuesday, Feb. 21.
For this week’s box scores, click here: www.southingtonobserver.com/2017/02/21/weekly-scoreboard-for-the-feb-24-edition/. To contact sports writer Brian Jennings, email him at BJennings@SouthingtonObserver.com.