MORRISTOWN - The Morris County Championships was over, but host Morristown wasn't quite ready to go home.
"Let's go swimming, boys," called junior Tommy Cromie, and one by one, his Colonials teammates jumped back into the pool. That's their traditional celebration, this time for a fourth-straight team title.
After the sodden photos, head coach Donna Gelegoyna and her assistants did a celebratory length of the pool. Morristown hadn't just won the meet by 25 points over Delbarton. The boys also took down multiple county and school records, sweeping all three relays. The Colonials placed at least one swimmer in the top six of all but one individual event.
Senior Michael Macchia dropped almost two seconds to finally break Jeff Gomez' 10-year-old school record in the breaststroke, which loomed over the Morristown pool. The Colonials also took down the meet records in the 200 and 400 free relays.
"I never got anywhere close to it until now," said Macchia, who also finished second to Mountain Lakes senior Joe Scerbo in the IM, swam backstroke on the Colonials medley, and was part of the winning 400 free relay.
"I like the 2IM, but the 1 back really is my special event. My passion is the backstroke. It's a confidence booster going into the rest of the season."
Morristown-Beard senior Ryan Waters made more history on Saturday, with a pair of gold medals and meet records in the distance events. But Waters, who has received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, was "most excited" for the Crimson's 200 free relay – which finished second to Morristown, lowering the school record already reset Thursday after standing for 21 years.
"I definitely went faster than I was expecting," said Waters, whose 400 free time of 3:56.33 would have qualified for the Olympic Trials this past summer.
"I did have some goal times I was able to beat … At counties, we really needed to do something good. Coming into the meet, I was so excited for this."
Delbarton senior Thomas Shepanzyk won his first county title in the breaststroke, and was second in the 200 free. Mendham junior Ryan Carkhuff was also a first-time winner, taking the 50 free by 11 hundredths of a second.
Mountain Lakes senior Matt Luciano, who has committed to Dartmouth, won his fourth straight Morris County butterfly crown, smashing a six-year old meet record by 71 hundredths of a second. Lakers senior Joe Scerbo won two county titles for the first time, breaking a 5-year-old meet record to defend the IM and also bringing home the 100 freestyle.
"It's something off the bucket list," said Scerbo, who is heading to Columbia in the fall. "Seeing everyone else do it. It's something I wanted, something I've been trying to do."
Staff Writer Jane Havsy: 973-428-6682; ; www.dailyrecord.com/writerjane/