Masuk Free Press

Masuk High School’s boys swim team took on Bunnell-Stratford in a highly competitive meet Feb. 18, demonstrating resilience and strong individual performances. Despite missing key team members, Masuk delivered impressive swims across multiple events to secure another victory.

The meet began with a statement win in the 200 Yard Medley Relay. The team of Thomas Rodriguez, Aidan Cammarano, Akshaj Yerragudi, and Logan Julian led the charge, taking first place with a time of 2:00.49. However, two of Masuk’s relay did not place.

Although the team faced early adversity with the disqualification of two of their relays, the team remained optimistic.

“We’ve been having tough practices lately, it is gonna prepare us for this challenge,” said junior Thomas Rodriguez.

Jacob Zajac kept the momentum going in the 200 Yard Freestyle, finishing second with a time of 2:26.13, while Ayan Kagtada secured fourth in 2:44.90. In the 200 Yard Individual Medley, Kirberger dominated with a winning time of 2:09.35, followed by Jack McHugh in second at 2:21.46.

“I think we stand a very good chance against the team we’re facing today. And although we’re missing some key parts to our team, I think that we have a fantastic chance,” said Brendan Kirberger. “If everyone swims their best and gets really good times, we’ll be able to come out of here with the win today.”

Masuk’s strength in sprinting events was evident in the 50 Yard Freestyle, where Julian took first with an impressive 25.44 seconds. Rodriguez placed second with 27.09.

In the 100 Yard Butterfly, Adragna placed first with a time of 1:01.02, followed by Yerragudi in second at 1:03.56 and Will Hardy in third at 1:05.38. The 100 Yard Freestyle saw Kirberger dominate with a winning time of 50.15, finishing a full ten seconds ahead of second-place Julian at 1:01.40. Logan Singh placed fifth at 1:10.13.

Yerragudi placed first in the 500 Yard Freestyle, with a time of 5:55.28. Zajac followed in third at 6:18.31, while freshman Matthew Businaro secured fourth at 6:19.29.

Masuk’s relay teams made up for their faults in the first relay with their performance in the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay, with Pierson, Rodriguez, Singh, and Zajac securing first place in 1:51.03. Another relay team consisting of Kagtada, Maslar, Mathien, and Yurvaj placed third at 2:11.83.

In the 100 Yard Backstroke, Hardy took first place with a time of 58.90, followed by McHugh in second at 59.58 and Rodriguez in third at 1:14.33. Adragna and Cammarano secured a dominant one-two finish in the 100 Yard Breaststroke, with Adragna clocking in at 1:08.46 and Cammarano following at 1:15.05. Businaro rounded out the event with a third-place finish at 1:24.93. Masuk went exhibition in this event.

The meet concluded with a commanding win in the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay. Adragna, Hardy, McHugh, and Kirberger combined for a time of 3:55.29, sealing the victory for Masuk.

Masuk ended the meet with a final score of 92 to 72. With this win, the team builds momentum heading into their next challenge against Trumbull on Thursday—also serving as their Senior Night. “You know, a lot of us know other people on the other team due to club teams, and hopefully, it’ll be a fun and exciting meet going against Trumbull,” Kagtada shared. “Yeah, we’re all pumped for it.”

“It’s very sad to see some of the seniors go. A lot of them have been here all four years and, you know, they’ve been a big part of this team,” said Rodriguez. “They had a big impact on all the practices and all the meets, especially the enthusiasm coming into this season.”

With their final home meet fast approaching, Masuk is determined to give their seniors a memorable send-off and finish the season on a high note.