Naugy swimmers’ depth sinks Red Raiders

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NAUGATUCK — The Greyhounds left another Naugatuck Valley League power in their wake Friday with a 98-83 win over Torrington. Naugatuck led, 98-58, through 10 events and swam the last two as exhibitions.

It was the Garnet and Grey’s depth that produced such a fat cushion. Though the Red Raiders won as many contested events as Naugy did, their stars lacked the supporting cast enjoyed by NHS’ best athletes. The Hounds actually outscored Torrington, 42-38, in the five contested events in which a Raiders swimmer or diver finished first.

Naugatuck opened the meet with a decisive win in the 200-yard medley relay. The team of William Wright, Dalton Fennell, Trevor Heller and Kyle Conrad touched the wall first, in one minute, 44.20 seconds, more than four seconds faster than Torrington’s top squad.

Chris Branco captured the 200 individual medley, in 2:12.19, and Wright and T.J. Warren also picked up points by finishing third and fourth, respectively.

Conrad and Heller went 1-2 in the 100 free, separated by only .47 of a second. The 200 free relay quartet of James Vaz, Heller, Conrad and Fennell won a close race, and a 1-2-3 finish by Wright, Riker Mitchell and Alex Grasso in the 100 backstroke cemented the meet victory.

In what has been a weak spot much of the season, Naugy earned nine points in the one-meter diving contest, as Isabelle Moody, Nakeem Robinson and Kaitlin Carter took second, third, and fourth place, in that order.

Torrington, traditionally among Naugatuck’s stoutest league opponents, got two wins apiece from Eric Traub (200 and 500 free) and Ray Cswerko (50 free and 100 butterfly), and a diving victory from Chrysta Currier.

The Greyhounds, winners of three straight NVL championships, were scheduled to host Watertown Thursday at 6 p.m. before visiting Crosby Monday and Kennedy next Wednesday to wrap up the regular season.