For the first time in six years, the Andover High School boys swim-and-dive team placed first at the MVCs.
Coach Mark Taffe and his team captured the Merrimack Valley Conference championship last Friday night, Feb. 3. All 20 swimmers and three divers made it possible by working together, with the Golden Warriors scoring six individual relay victories.
Andover finished with 400 points, well ahead of second place Chelmsford, which collected 359. Lowell scored 227, Haverhill 200, and Central Catholic 190.
The Andover squad has eight seniors, five juniors, six sophomores and four freshmen, and members look forward to competing at sectionals and states. Seniors on the team are Curren Chadha, Stan Camin, Henry Chuang, Richard Leung, Coach Mark Taffe, Thomas Iannalfo, David Iannalfo, David Hunter and John Belanger.
Local winners included the Andover 200 medley relay team of David Hunter, Vince Camin, David Iannalfor and Stanislaw Camin in a time of 1.45.7; David Kitchen of Central Catholic, in the 200 IM, 2:03.67; John Belanger of Andover in the 50 freestyle, 22.45.; Iannalfo in the 100 butterfly, 57.27; Belanger in the 100 freestyle, 48.59; Vince Camin in the 100 breaststroke, 1:03.36; and the Andover team of Hunter, Aaron Wu, Eric Zhao and Belanger in the 200 freestyle relay, with a time of 1.33.86.
