Spartan swimmers win ECIC 'AA' team championship

Williamsville North's Chris Arcara swims the butterfly portion of the 200-yard medley relay during the Spartans' 64-38 win over Orchard Park on Jan. 30. North concluded the regular season 12-0 and won the ECIC team championship for the second straight year. Photo by Joe Eberle Purchase photos at www.BeeNews.com

With convincing victories over previously unbeaten Orchard Park and rival Jamestown, Williamsville North's varsity boys swimming team finished the ECIC dual meet season a perfect 12-0, clinching their second consecutive ECIC team championship.

North has established themselves as a Western New York swimming powerhouse. The Spartans are 26-0 over the past two seasons and have dropped only two ECIC dual meets in the past four years. North boasts the best record of any ECIC "AA" team over that span and has been ranked among the very top teams in all of New York State each season.

Through this run of success, the Spartans have been led by a core group of highly motivated swimmers - seniors Brandon Beckinghausen, Chris Deptula, Matt Krupp - and junior Michael Lin. All are four-time ECIC and Section VI qualifiers and three-time New York State Championship qualifiers.

The quartet own the North school and pool records in the 200 free relay as well as the 400 free relay pool records at North, Iroquois, and Sweet Home High Schools. Individually and/or together, they have won multiple ECIC and sectional championships, finishing fourth at last year's state meet in the 400 free relay.

Dedicated to the sport of swimming, all four are also members of the UB Amherst Swim Club. UBAM is a year-round, national goal oriented, US Swim Club that practices at the University of Buffalo and coached by North head coach Flynn Burroughs.

"Together these four guys have put Williamsville North swimming back on the map," stated Burroughs. "Not only have they improved individually with every season but they have made those around them better as well."

From 1980 to 2003, only a couple

Spartan swimmers qualified for states. Since the 2004 season, six different swimmers have represented North in state competition. "Because of the success of these guys, kids come into our program asking not 'if' they will make states but instead 'when?' They have raised the bar," said Burroughs.

The best from this group however may still be yet to come. On Feb. 17 they will go for their second consecutive ECIC "AA" meet championship at Clarence High School then the following week, participate in sectionals at Sweet Home. The season ends a week later when the foursome will team up for the final time in high school competition at the state meet, held again at Erie Community College's Burt Flickinger Center from March 2 and 3.

They currently own the second fastest reported 400 free relay time in the state (3:19.61), just .60 off the pace set by top-ranked Shenendehowa.