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Lee Sees Record-Setting Week as Tigers Take 2nd in States

The Hand boys’ swimming and diving team took second place when it competed in the Class M State Championship at Cornerstone Aquatic Center on March 16. Led by a pair of school-record victories from sophomore Elliot Lee and a win by their 400 freestyle relay, the Tigers scored 459 points as a squad on their way to earning runner-up honors at states. A few days later, Lee claimed first place in the 200 individual medley and the 100 freestyle for Hand at the State Open Championship, breaking both of his own school records in the process.

Lee won the 200 IM by swimming a school-record time of 1:49.91 for Hand at the Class M State Championship. Lee finished a few seconds ahead of second-place Timothy Regan of Pomperaug (1:53.46) on his way to winning the event.

Later in the meet, Lee swam a time of 46.03 in the 100 freestyle to take first place with another school-record performance. Lee edged out Andrew Strickland of Middletown (46.30) for the top spot in the 100 freestyle.

Lee entered the Class M State Championship as the top seed in both of his events after having placed first in the 200 IM (1:54.23) and the 100 free (46.98) at the Class M Trials at Cornerstone Aquatic Center on March 13. Earlier in the postseason, Lee finished first in the 50 freestyle (20.98) and the 100 butterfly at the SCC Championship (50.00) and was ultimately named the Most Outstanding Performer of the conference meet.

The Tigers also received a victory from their 400 freestyle relay at the Class M State Championship. Hand’s quartet of senior Ian Looby, senior Jack Signorello, senior Joseph Starkey, and Lee recorded a time of 3:15.31 to claim first place, finishing ahead of the runner-up team from Windsor (3:16.87).

Hand’s 400 freestyle relay entered the meet as the top seed on the heels of its victory at the Class M Trials (3:18.29). The Tigers’ relay had previously finished second at the SCC Championship (3:18.29).

Hand’s 200 medley relay of Starkey, freshman Matthew Gentil, junior Jonah Kehew, and Lee took second place with a time of 1:38.19 at the Class M State Championship. Jack Signorello finished second in the 500 freestyle (4:47.89), and Starkey came in second place for the 100 backstroke (53.37).

Signorello also finished in fourth place in the 200 freestyle (1:46.75) for the Tigers. Kehew finished fourth in the 100 backstroke (53.58), while Starkey claimed sixth place in the 200 IM (1:59.81).

A few days before the Tigers swam at SCCs, senior Alexander Hauser competed for Hand at the Class M Diving State Championship. Hauser took fifth place in the diving competition by scoring a total of 353.25 points at Middletown High School on March 10.

When the competition resumed the following week, Hand’s 200 freestyle relay of Kehew, Looby, Gentil, and Signorello finished in seventh place by posting a time of 1:33.48. Looby finished 11th in the 200 freestyle (1:50.86) and was also 11th for the 500 freestyle (5:01.72) at the meet. Gentil finished 11th in the 100 backstroke (1:02.84) and took 12th place in the 200 IM (2:05.47). Freshman Adam Signorello finished 16th in the 500 freestyle (5:20.64).

On March 19, the Tigers returned to Cornerstone Aquatic Center to participate in the State Open Championship, scoring 111 points to take 17th place as a team. Lee followed up his two victories from the Class LL meet by winning both of his individual events at the Open, bettering the two school-record times that he had posted at the preceding meet.

Lee finished with a time of 1:48.86 in the 200 IM at the State Open, defeating Ryan Jee of Greenwich (1:49.80) for top honors in the event. Then in the 100 freestyle, Lee set another school record by clocking in with a time of 45.72 to once again beat out Strickland (46.57) for first place.

Starkey finished 13th in the 100 backstroke (53.91) and took 18th place in the 200 IM (1:59.95) at the State Open. Hand’s 200 medley relay of Starkey, Gentil, Lee, and freshman Justin Li finished in 15th place (1:41.15); and the 400 freestyle relay featuring, Lee, Li, Looby, and Starkey came in 22nd place for the Tigers (3:22.38).