CBA Captures State Title over Bergen Catholic By Lou Monaco

Mission accomplished. 

 

The state championship trophy is in its rightful place, just off of Exit 109 of the Garden State Parkway in Lincroft. 

 

The Christian Brothers Academy swim team recaptured the NJSIAA Non-Public A boys swimming title with a 107.5-62.5 victory over Bergen Catholic at the College of New Jersey Aquatic Center in Ewing on Feb. 25. 

 

Christian Brothers (11-2), which saw its six state title win streak snapped 367 days earlier in an 89-81 loss to St. Augustine, captured its ninth state crown overall. 

 

“I couldn't be more proud of this team.  They swim for each other and that's the recipe for a championship team.  After last season, they were on a mission all year to get back to the top and when the moment came, they embraced it and swam with heart and determination,” said Christian Brothers head coach Vito Chiaravalloti, who just completed his 10th season at the helm and was a junior on CBA’s first swimming title in 1998. “We knew Bergen Catholic was a good team with a solid lineup.  Our goal was to maximize our opportunity to win individual events, while utilizing our depth in our outside lanes.  For us to win, our outside swimmers would have to swim well, which they did.” 

 

CBA, which has also never lost a Shore Conference championship, winning 28 straight, won nine of the 11 events and with the meet still in hand, pulled away with back-to-back sweeps in the 100 freestyle (senior and Fordham-bound Connor Wright, junior Ryan Burke, sophomore Mason Wolf – :49.33) and 500 freestyle (juniors Sammy Rennard and Paul Retterer, freshman Kevin Truscio – 4:39.68).  

 

Other wins included: Retterer (1:44.30) and freshman Tom Shea finished 1-2 in the 200 freestyle relay; Rennard (1:56.40) in the 200 individual medley; Burke (22.47) and senior and Loyola (Md.)-bound Peter Warshaw (22.69) finished 1-2 respectively in the 50 freestyle; senior and Rider-bound Dimitri Maldonado (52:09) in the 100 butterfly; Warshaw, sophomore Matthew Van Lew, junior Dillon Formato and Retterer (1:32.16) in the 200 freestyle relay; Wright (53.02) and senior Isaac Mercado (54.70) 1-2 in the 100 backstroke and Burke, Retterer, Rennard and Wright (3:19.85) in the 400 freestyle relay.

 

“Our team would not be where we are today without our incredible seniors: Connor (Wright), Dimitri (Maldonado), Isaac (Mercado), Seton Hall-bound Joey West and Peter (Warshaw). These five young men provided the leadership, experience, stability, and presence both in and out of the water to lead us to a championship. They care so deeply about swimming for their school and for their teammates, and they always proudly represented us,” said Chiaravalloti. “When you have that type of leadership from your seniors, you are destined to have a special year.  A moment I very much look forward to every year is hugging our seniors as they get out of their last event at the state final.  It's very emotional for me. I'm so proud of them and feel so blessed to have coached them, but I'm also going to miss them.  They gave everything they had for me, their teammates, and this program, and I can't thank them enough.”