City Swim Meet has poignant side this year

By Steve Krause / The Daily Item

LYNN - Lynn Tech won its third straight City Swim Meet Saturday, but the focus before, during and after the event centered on English assistant Michelle Conlon and her presence at the Tech pool.

Conlon, whose sister, Marianne Duncan, is the head coach of the Bulldogs, is battling cancer. And Duncan wasn't even sure she'd be able to attend.

"I honestly thought I'd be coaching alone today," she said. "I'm really happy Michelle was able to attend."

English finished second, with 94 points -- its score in the concluding 400 free relay the difference between the Bulldogs and Classical (84 points). Tech won the meet with 146 points.


"It's been a while (since we finished second)," Duncan said. "But our kids swam their hearts out. They dedicated the meet to Michelle, and they did awesome. I have an awesome group of kids."

The Lynn swimming community is, at once, very open and very closed. Most of the coaches got their start in swimming via the late Peter Sawin, and his presence was still felt at the Tech pool Saturday.

"Just about everyone here owes this to Peter," said Tech coach Brad Tilley, "in one way or another."

But if there's a second family whose name has heavily influenced swimming in Lynn, it is the Conlons. All three children of former Tech director Bart Conlon and his wife, Diane, swam for Lynn English (their late son Michael; Michelle and Marianne). And, as Classical coach Denise Silva said, "The family has done so much for swimming in Lynn. They helped me become the person I am; and Michael was one of the first kids I ever coached."

Tech had to wait more than 30 years to taste victory in this event, but now that the Tigers have finally swum the Lynn equivalent of the English Channel, they don't seem anxious to let go of the prize.

"It never gets old," said Tilley. "The 31 straight years we didn't win it makes this all worthwhile.

"I have a great group of kids," said Tilley, "and a great group of coaches. They are a credit to the school. And none of this would be possible without my coaches (Charlie Rowe, John and Katie Hogan, and Don McKenney)."

The Tigers led from wire to wire, their 146 points easily outdistancing second-place English.

"We had a sense," said Tilley, "but you never want to count on anything until it's official."

Still, with Tech all but assured of victory coming into the last event -- the 400 free relay -- there was plenty of drama, as English just nosed out Classical for the right to finish second.

"It shows the competitiveness and balance of swimming in Lynn," said Silva, who said that despite the third-place finish, several of her swimmers recorded personal-best times.

"And," she said, "that's one of the reasons we swim. A lot of our kids finished with some great times."

Langston Toxey of English and Tech's Victor Vasquez were double winners. Toxey took the 200 individual medley (2:21.45) and the 100 butterfly (1:05.07); while Vasquez won the 50 free (25.75) and 100 free.

Other winners: Andrew Guy, Tech, 200 free (2:12.75); Douglas Sermano, Tech, diving (170.20); Josh Rockwood, Tech, 500 free (6:55.29); Alex Cintron, Tech, 100 backstroke (1:11.70); and Jarrod Zorzy, Tech, 100 breaststroke (1:18.26).

Tech took the 200 medley relay with Cintron, Zorzy, Guy and Rob Meile swimming at 2:04.38. The Tigers also took the 200 free relay with a team of Vasquez, Zorzy, Guy and Rockwood (1:52.81).

However, English won the final event, the 400 free relay, in 4:20.13, with Matt DeMirs, Kelly Doran, Mike Bruno and Toxey.