Congratulations to the NCHS Boys Swim and Dive Team and their coaches for winning the 2023 CIAC Class L State Championship for the 3rd time in a row on Thursday, March 8!
The win came down to the final 400-yard freestyle relay, with NCHS Swim Team members Eric Huang, Deacon Mascarinas, Jason Pastushan, and Benjamin Madan working together seamlessly to beat out Fairfield Prep in a 709-688 win.
The NCHS Swim Team entered the State Championship with a 39-point deficit, fueling the fire for swimmers Huang and Mascarinas to secure the gold in each of thier relays successfully. Mascarinas would go on to win the 100 freestyle, the 200-yard medley, the 100 breaststroke, and the state title for the 400 freestyle relay. At the same time, Huang secured two gold metals with the aforementioned relay teams and other honorable placements in the 100 butterfly and 1100 backstroke.
"It was incredible to win three consecutive championship titles, and this year was particularly special because it was a true team win. We went into the meet with a 39-point deficit to Prep as a result of not having any divers and were able to overcome that obstacles and still win by 21 points against a notoriously strong program like Prep. I was especially proud of Deacon Mascarinas, who won every event he swam (200 medley relay, 100 free, 100 breast, 400 free relay)," NCHS Swim Coach Kat Munson said.
"But mostly, I was beyond proud of the fact that we brought back 30 of the 32 possible individual swims that a team can have at finals. It was a true team effort where every single swim mattered - and the boys embraced the high-pressure situation and thrived. It was truly the best win in my 16 years of coaching that I've ever experienced."
