By Rich Palzewic
Sports editor
MANITOWOC – The Bay Port boys’ swimming team won its fourth consecutive Fox River Classic Conference title Feb. 2 at Sheboygan North High School.
The Pirates’ 559 points outdistanced second-place Sheboygan North by 58.5 points to win the overall title.
Local teams Green Bay United (third, 394 points), Ashwaubenon (fourth, 333) and Pulaski (sixth, 192.5) also competed.
Bay Port has now won an impressive nine FRCC titles since the conference was formed in 2007.
“The conference meet was closer than in previous years, but we were able to do what we needed to come out on top,” said Bay Port head coach Steve Jeffers. “Our backstrokers – Kyle Zerbel, Victor Kostov and Alec Tuttle – swept the podium in the 100 backstroke.”
Zerbel (55.29), Kostov (57.21) and Tuttle (57.42) garnered 53 combined points in that race alone for the Pirates.
“Our 400 freestyle relay teams also finished first and second to seal the deal,” Jeffers added. “After doing our homework, we realized we had an opportunity to change up our relays a bit to put our ‘B team’ in a position to have a shot at the silver medal. I believe that’s a first for us – going first and second in a relay at the conference championship meet.”
The team of Griffin Hawley, Zerbel, Payton Schilz and Ozan Kalafat won the event with a time of 3:23.42, while Lucas Thibert, Tucker Rudolph, Kostov and Keaton Spindler finished runner-up in a time of 3:29.96.
Other overall event winners for the Pirates were Hawley in the 100 freestyle (49.39) and Kalafat in the 500 freestyle (4:56.24) and 100 breaststroke (1:01.12).
Pulaski’s Ben Bouchard took top honors in the 200 freestyle in with a time of 1:48.33.
Green Bay United’s Kaiser Neverman blazed to conference-record victories in the 200 individual medley (1:58.19) and 100 butterfly (48.96).
Joe Steffel (third, 200 IM – 2:08.30) and Jackson Hodek (third, 500 freestyle – 5:16.28) were the top finishers for Ashwaubenon.
The Pirates will be shooting for their third straight WIAA Division 1 sectional title Feb. 9 at Neenah High School.
“The Neenah Sectional is going to be very tight this year,” added Jeffers. “The top talent is spread out over several teams. Three or four teams legitimately have a chance to win. We will need to bring our very best to have a shot.”
Ashwaubenon will host its Division 2 sectional this Saturday with Pulaski attending, while Green Bay United will be in Neenah with Bay Port.
Only the top finisher in each event at sectionals will automatically advance to the WIAA state meet Feb. 15-16 at the UW-Madison Natatorium.
The other top 18 times in the state from the six Division 1 sectionals will also advance, while the top 12 times from the four Division 2 sectionals will head to Madison.