Jimmy Stinehart had a record-setting day for Westfield Sunday at the Western Massachusetts swim championships at Springfield College. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
SPRINGFIELD – It was an incredible ride, or rather, swim, for one senior male swimmer and his fellow teammates from the Whip City.
Westfield High senior Jimmy Stinehart broke a 20-plus year school record in the 100 yard butterfly, helped the Bombers shatter another record in a relay race, and nearly helped them eclipse another in the Western Massachusetts swimming championships Sunday at Springfield College.
Stinehart won the 50 yard freestyle (22.08), and placed second in the 100 fly (53.29) behind only Amherst’s Mark Klepacki (53.29) – the Westfield senior set a new record in the event, besting Danny Gustafson (1985).
Westfield freshman Nick Rosso made a splash at the Western Massachusetts finals Sunday. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
In the medley relay, seniors John Dolan and Tim Kwarcinski, freshman sensation Nick Rosso, and Stinehart combined to win the 200 yard medley relay in school record time of 1:39.65. The same group of individuals also combined to win the 400 free relay (3:19.76), just under four-tenths of a second shy of another record time.
“I was just doing what I was coached to do,” Stinehart said. “It took a lot of faith from God. I know that’s cliché, but it’s true. I was working hard all fall for today. I’m glad it paid off.”
Westfield’s Tim Kwarcinski helped set records and racked up fantastic finishes at Sunday’s WMass swim championships at Springfield College. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
The pay-off was just as sweet for Dolan in, among other events, the 100 yard backstroke (2nd, 56.25) and the 200 yard individual medley (3rd, 2:01.54), and for Kwarcinski in the 200 IM (2nd, 1:59.25) and 500 yard freestyle (3rd, 4:54.30).
Rosso placed fourth in the 100 fly (56.62) and sixth in the 200 IM (2:11.09).
“Some people don’t believe it, but swimming is a huge team sport,” Stinehart said. “Without the others like John (Dolan) and Tim (Kwarcinski) and Nick (Rosso) … we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
Westfield finished third in the team standings with 260 points, just a hair shy of runners-up Amherst (267). A very deep Minnechaug squad won the championship easily with 343 points.
Westfield was not void of talent by any means.
Roberto Morales finished 7th overall for Westfield in the 500 free (5:16.48), and 10th in the 200 free (1:58.17).
Westfield’s John Dolan had a medal-worthy day at the Western Massachusetts boys’ swim championships Sunday. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
Bombers’ Slav Ptashuk (50 free/19th/24.66), Gabe Centeno (100 fly/25th/1:06.40), Chris Tu (100 free/19th/55.75; 50 free/27th/25.13), and Sam Cloutier (500 free/27th/6:12.76) also contributed.
Ptashuk, Tu, Morales, and Austin Kearney combined for a ninth-place finish in the 200 free relay (1:39.93).
In the diving competition Friday night, Westfield’s James Wagner recorded a seventh-place finish with a personal best score of 295.70.
Said coach Lewis: “It was a phenomenal meet for us.”
Note: For many of the Bombers, it really was a “wave” of success. Stinehart, and other members of the Westfield boys’ and girls’ swim team, including assistant coaches Linda and Mike Rowbotham, credited coach Lewis and the local YMCA’s Wave swim team (coached by Jamie Bloom) – a superb feeder program – for creating yet another stellar year for the high school team.
