'Twas more than just a friendly neighborhood swim First-ever pool duel helps prep Shepaug, New Milford for respective stretch drives

There is much on the agenda in weeks ahead for swimmers at New Milford and Shepaug Valley high schools.

Respective league and state honors are on the minds of the Green Wave and Spartan athletes as they head deep into their schedules.

Yet Jan. 22, an otherwise quiet afternoon at Shepaug Valley High, coach Jim Carmellini's NMHS squad and coach Todd Dyer's Region 12 poolpeople went at it as if a title were on the line.

The perennially strong Spartans employed their vaunted depth to full advantage to outlast the Green Wave, 96-88, to claim victory in the first ever pool meeting of the two neighboring schools.

Coach Carmellini's crew captured first places in eight events -- Mike LaDelfa in the 200-yard freestyle; Alex Bieber in the 50 and the 100-yard freestyles; Nicholas Karadimas in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly; Scott Martin the 500-yard freestyle; the 200-yard freestyle relay of Tyler Gangell, Mike LaDelfa, Karadimas and Bieber; and the 400-yard freestyle relay ofMartin, LaDelfa, Bieber and Karadimas.

The Spartans countered with Cody Heimbrock's victorious performance in diving, as well as wins by the 200-yard medley relay of Nick Velseboer, Pat O'Brien, Pat Firmender and Griffin DeCaro; Mike Piersall in the 100-yard backstroke; and DeCaro in the 100-yard breaststroke.

The host swimmers also grabbed runnerup finishes in eight of the dozen races and more thirds than the Green Wave to emerge with the satisfying triumph.

Since that day, Shepaug went on to outswim Berkshire League rivals Northwestern, 103-83, and Gilbert, 100-78, to improve their league ledger to 6-0 and their overall record to 8-3.

"The team is swimming and diving really well," said coach Dyer, "and we are on track for another BL run."

"The varsity lineup has made great gains in time and the JVs are coming on helping us with our depth," he added.

The Spartans expect a tough meet tomorrow (Saturday) when they challenge Lewis Mills in Bristol. The Region 12 squad will return to the friendly confines of the Shepaug pool to host Housatonic Valley Tuesday at 4 p.m.

The Green Wave was slated Jan. 27 to visit New Fairfield and headed yesterday (Thursday) to Weston. The next meet for NMHS will be next Wednesday, Feb. 10, vs. Masuk in Monroe.

-- Norm Cummings