After competing in Division II of the SCC the last two seasons, the Hand boys’ swimming and diving team moved up the ranks to Division I this winter. On the strength of some solid senior leadership, along with plenty of budding underclass talent, the Tigers are more than holding their own with the big boys.

Head Coach Christina Forristall and the Tigers left Division II as the two-time defending champions, and the promotion to Division I has resulted in deeper pool of quality competition for the squad. Still, Hand has adjusted quite nicely to the tune of a 6-3 record after recording an 85-73 Senior Night win over divisional foe Xavier at the Madison Swim and Racquet Club on Feb. 14. The Tigers’ record includes close losses to conference heavyweights Cheshire (97-88), Amity (96-90), and Notre Dame-West Haven (100-88). Overall, Coach Forristall said that she’s seeing what she was hoping this year for as the Tigers are leaving their mark on top-notch opponents.

“With moving up to Division I, we had aggressive goals going into this year after being the Division II champs the last two seasons. We had a goal of deceiving a couple of top-notch teams, where maybe we didn’t win the meet, but it went down to the wire,” said Forristall. “We definitely did that against Amity and Notre Dame. We want to finish in the top four at SCCs and then do top five or better at states in Class M.”

A pair of seniors are leading the Tigers as captains this year in Michael Healey, who’s made a strong return after fighting an illness midway through last season; and Edmund Huminski, who’s shaved some seconds off his best times this winter.

“Michael has been a leader since walking on his freshman year. Even though he was sick midway through last year, he was still elected as a captain by his teammates because of that leadership. He holds everyone accountable and to a higher standard and he’s also a great flyer in the 100 butterfly,” Coach Forristall said. “Edmund came on as a freshman with no competitive background, but he’s taken to it greatly. He broke 26 seconds in the 50 free and he brings depth to our relays.”

Elsewhere on the roster, the Tigers boast great talent in their three other classes behind freshmen Tyler Merritt, Dylan Merritt, William Porter, Sean Laragy, Jack Stein, and diver Jessica Murphy; sophomores Griffin Mascia, a first-year swimmer, and Chris Wu; in addition to juniors Paul O’Connor, Nate Imbergamo, and Dan Smyth. Of course, the Tigers also feature senior diver Teddy Zeng, the three-time reigning SCC, state, and State Open champion who also holds the diving records for the Class L and Class M State championships, as well as the State Open.

“This freshman class is probably the strongest class we’ve had collectively. They are helping with the success we’ve had in the top division of the SCC. Chris Wu has broken the [100 butterfly and 200 individual medley] school records, which speaks to his talent,” said Forristall. “Our juniors are strong. Paul has the 500 free record. I also have to give a ton of credit to [Zeng and fellow divers Murphy and senior Delcan Maloney] towards our success this season.”

Coach Forristall added that it hasn’t necessarily been a particular victory, individual milestone, or personal-best time that’s stood out to her this season. What’s impressed Forristall the most is how cohesive her club has become no matter the outcome.

“Every year they surprise me with how they bond as a collective unit. I’ve had athletes that have played on other teams say how this team is something special with the brotherhood they develop,” Forristall said. “They have each other’s back and cheer for everyone at every event; they pride themselves on that. They win and lose as a unit.”

The Tigers will face some stiff tests at the end of the regular season, including a contest against 12-time defending SCC champion Fairfield Prep, followed by their finale versus familiar foe Branford-Guilford. After that, Hand will compete in the SCC Championship. The Swimming Qualifier is at Cheshire Town Pool at 4 p.m. on Monday. Feb. 27; the Diving Championship takes place at Hamden High School at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28: and the SCC Swimming Championship will be held at Southern Connecticut State University at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1.

“It’s about setting ourselves up for SCC. We want to get as any kids to the final as we can. We are going into these final meets with aggressive, championship mindsets,” said Forristall. “The Prep meet always helps us mentally with getting in that competitive atmosphere. The boys were amped up for the Senior Night against Xavier to show their talent and skills. We have a friendly rivalry with Branford-Guilford. We’ve been back and forth with them the last few years in trading wins, so we’ll be looking for bragging rights.”

From the Sidelines

Christina Forristall is in her third season as Hand’s head coach.

The assistant coaches for the Tigers this year are Jen Lyman, who’s also the head coach of Hand’s girls’ swimming and diving squad, and Connor Lui.

Last season, Hand finished seventh at both the SCC Championship and the Class L State Championship.