By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
ASHWAUBENON – The Bay Port boys’ swimming team picked up where it left off last season – with a victory.
The Pirates won the 12-team Ashwaubenon Invite Jan. 5 at the Ashwaubenon Community Pool with their 466 points, which was 145 points better than runner-up Appleton North-East.
Ashwaubenon came in fourth with 268 points.
“The guys came focused and prepared to race,” said Bay Port head coach Steve Jeffers. “Many had personal best times. I’m very happy with how this young team is progressing.”
Bay Port has no seniors on the team.
The Pirates 200-yard medley relay team of Victor Kostov, Ozan Kalafat, Ben Storby and Kyle Zerbel took first with a time of 1:41.31, while Griffin Hawley did the same in the 50 freestyle (21.98) and 100 freestyle (49.18).
The 200-freestyle relay team of Hawley, Payton Schilz, Storby and Keaton Spindler was also victorious in a time of 1:31.18.
Kalafat rounded out the winners for Bay Port with a pool-record time of 1:00.08 to win the 100 breaststroke by almost 3 seconds.
Second-place finishes included Kostov (200 individual medley – 2:04.19), Storby (100 butterfly – 55.59) and Kalafat (500 freestyle – 4:53.62).
Third-place finishers were Zerbel (100 butterfly – 56.30; 100 backstroke – 56.01) and the 400 freestyle relay team of Hawley, Zerbel, Schilz and Kalafat (3:24.09).
For Ashwaubenon, Joe Steffel (200 IM – 2:04.50; 100 breaststroke – 1:02.87) and Spencer Klika (100 freestyle – 50.96) both swam to third-place finishes.