Blue Dukes Nip Highlanders in NSC Relay Finale

Though Homestead was the clear winner of Saturday’s North Shore Conference swim meet, Whitefish Bay claimed victory in the most exciting race of the day, beating the Highlanders by less than a second in a dramatic 400 freestyle relay.

Bay’s quartet of Henry Smith, captain D.J. Friesch, James Colton and Henry Bourgeois won the photo-finish race in a time of 3:28.80. The victory, which was the day’s finale at Cedarburg High School, brought the Blue Dukes’ final team score to 296, securing the team third place.

“It was a great performance overall today, and an especially great way to end,” said Bay head coach Jim Davis.

Smith, a sophomore, swam the relay’s opening leg and said beating Homestead's four-man squad was the “highlight of the day.” He credited Friesch for swimming an “amazing” anchor leg.

The members of Bay’s winning relay squad proved the team’s top performers in other races throughout the day as well. Smith and Bourgeois finished second and fourth, respectively, in the 200 freestyle, respectively. They repeated the same finish in the 500 freestyle.

Friesch claimed second in the 200 IM and third in the 100 breaststroke, while Colton took second in the 100 backstroke.

Other swimmers, including Will Martinez-Ortiz, Ethan Nikolau and Curt Walther, also made important contributions to the Duke’s team tally.

Davis said Bay swam particularly well despite being short on the rest. The team proved its toughness fighting toe-to-toe with overall runner-up Cedarburg and fourth-place Grafton in multiple heats throughout the day, he said.

Smith said the team has continued working hard in practices, maintaining a challenging regimen of yardage.

“I’m surprised by how well we performed as a team,” he said.

Both Davis and Smith said they are looking forward to sectionals and state and are proud of the team’s position in the tournament’s final standings: Homestead (534), Cedarburg (379), Whitefish Bay (296), Grafton (280), Nicolet (231), Port Washington (198) and Milwaukee Lutheran (68).

Homestead dominated the pool and racked up points by placing multiple swimmers in top 10 positions in nearly every event. Nicholas Petersen spearheaded the Highlanders' title charge, winning the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke with ease, and was named NSC Swimmer of the Year.

In addition to Petersen’s victories, the Highlanders won the 200 yard medley relay and individual races in the 200 yard IM and 100 yard freestyle.

Other tournament standouts included Cedarburg’s Carl Newenhouse, winner of the 200 and 500 freestyle, and Grafton’s Al Nenning, who took the 50 freestyle crown.