Cambridge Battles Marist in Dual Meet
Combined Scores
Marist - 398
Cambridge - 200
Girls Team Scores
Marist - 209
Cambridge - 96
Boys Team Scores
Marist - 189
Cambridge - 104
Bears Fall to the War Eagles
On Saturday, the Bears traveled to Marist for a competitive invitational meet and delivered an outstanding performance that showcased depth, teamwork, and determination. Both the boys' and girls' squads battled hard against strong opponents, earning top finishes in multiple events and setting new personal bests across the board.
Relay Power
The meet opened with the 200-medley relay, where the boys' A-relay (Pranav Kolathaya, Tom Berezitsky, Brighton Damm, James Kates) surged to second place with a time of 1:54.71, scoring critical points early. The B-relay (Tate Robertson, Campen Dawes, Aneesh Ayyagari, Avi Saxena) followed in sixth.
On the girls' side, the A-relay (Molly Melchiors, Alana Drevet, Leila Kader, Audrey Lampa) claimed third with 2:08.40, while the B-relay and C-relay added depth and experience for the team.
Individual Highlights
- Jax Jackson led the boys in the 200-free, taking second with 1:51.82, while Bryson Mynatt followed in third at 2:05.44.
- For the girls, Charlotte Weeter dominated the 200-free with a first-place finish at 2:03.00, and Alana Drevet added a strong fourth-place swim.
- In the 200-IM, Oscar Ryzhkov captured gold with an impressive 2:03.25, and Vivi Vasconcellos earned third for the girls at 2:28.45.
- Sprint events saw Caroline Garijo take third in the 50-free (26.03) and Leila Kader finish 11th. On the boys' side, Pranav Kolathaya placed seventh in the 50-free.
The Bears continued to rack up points in the 100-fly, where Aneesh Ayyagari and Tom Berezitsky finished third and fourth respectively, and Charlotte Weeter claimed third for the girls. In the 100-free, Tate Robertson powered to third with 56.29, while Caroline Garijo and Molly Melchiors finished seventh and eighth for the girls.
Distance Dominance
The 500-free was a showcase of endurance for the Bears. Jax Jackson took second with 5:05.89, and Tom Berezitsky added fifth. For the girls, Leila Kader earned silver with 5:53.94, and Sydney Edison placed third. Kader and Edison are close to the state cut for the event.
Closing Relays
The Bears finished strong in the relays. The boys' A-relay (Ryzhkov, Damm, Mynatt, Jackson) took second in the 200-free relay and repeated the feat in the 400-free relay with 3:44.64. The girls' A-relay (Weeter, Garijo, Vasconcellos, Chingirian) also secured second in both freestyle relays, capping off a stellar team effort.
Best Times
- Bryson Mynatt – 200 Free – 2:05.44 (seed: 2:17.90)
- Alana Drevet – 200 Free – 2:10.37 (seed: 2:10.94)
- Oscar Ryzhkov – 200 IM – 2:03.25 (seed: 2:05.34)
- Vivi Vasconcellos – 200 IM – 2:28.45 (seed: 2:41.31)
- Aneesh Ayyagari – 100 Fly – 1:06.63 (seed: 1:14.39)
- Tom Berezitsky – 100 Fly – 1:07.43 (seed: 1:07.81)
- Tom Berezitsky – 500 Free – 6:02.27 (seed: 6:16.88)
Looking Ahead
Despite the team score, the Bears walked away with confidence and momentum thanks to a wave of personal bests. With championship season on the horizon, Cambridge is primed for big performances. Stay tuned as the Bears take on their next challenge!
