The Marblehead High boys and girls swim and dive team (4-0) kept its perfect season intact after beating Beverly on Jan. 10, 84-78. The Headers came through once again to win this close meet against a Northeastern Conference rival because of their extraordinary depth, according to their veteran coach Sue Guertin.
In the 200-yard medley relay, Jack Grady, Greg Podstrelov, Gary Podstrelov and Logan Doody (1:51, sectional cut) secured first place. The quartet of Clementine Robins, Bella Takata, Finn Bergquist and Sophia Weiner (2:00, state cut) came in third.
Cole Brooks (1:47.75, state cut) bested the entire field in the 200-yard freestyle. Doody (1:56.87, state cut) ended up third, and Ezra Reid (2:14.78) was fourth.
Podstrelov (2:15.90) and Brady Leveroni (2:17.37) were second and third in the 200 IM. Maddy Auerbach (2:37.44) was credited with a fifth-place finish.
Cale Nelson (25.12) was tops in the 50-yard freestyle. Owen Torstenson (25.41) accounted for third, and Nate Rosen (25.74) was fourth.
The Panthers do not have a diving team, but the event was held after the meet, and Grady won it again.
Back to the 100-yard butterfly, Brooks (58.45, sectional cut) and Podstrelov (59.40) topped the ticket, while Finn Bergquist (1:03.81, state cut) was fifth.
Doody (53.64), Rosen (56.25) and Ian Chemel (57.45) came in second, third and fourth in the 100-yard freestyle.
Robins (5:24.67, state cut), Will Cerrutti (5:37.53) and Brinleigh Callahan (5:46.22, sectional cut) swept the 500-yard freestyle.
Doody, Rosen, Grady and Brooks (1:34.54, new MHS school record, state cut), and Cecelia Robbins, Sophia Weiner, Bella Takata and Robins (1:48.76, state cut) were the top two teams in the 200-yard freestyle relay.
Grady (58.28, state cut), Chemel (1:03.04) and Weiner (1:05.65, state cut) accounted for the second through fourth spots in the 100-yard backstroke, as did Nelson (1:10.40), Podstrelov (1:10.86) and Takata (1:13.35, state cut) in the 100-yard breaststroke.
The foursomes of Doody, Rosen, Grady and Brooks (3:43.03), and Leveroni, Cerrutti, Nelson and Torstenson (3:51.10) owned the top two spots in the 400-yard freestyle relay to complete the Beverly meet in style, while helping to produce another triumph for the team.
The Headers last week went up against Gloucester and Salem, as they look to stay on top with the regular season quickly winding down.
Joe McConnell
