Newsday's All-Long Island boys swimming team 2022
Hauppauge's Jake Nielsen wins the 500-yard freestyle during a meet against Connetquot/East Islip on Jan. 12, 2021. Credit: Bob Sorensen
Newsday Swimmer of the Year: Jake Nielsen, Hauppauge, Sr.
Hauppauge coach Rich Lionetti could tell there was a difference in Jake Nielsen this winter. Not that Nielsen wasn’t always a dedicated swimmer, but it was clear he was willing to make the necessary sacrifices to become the best he could be.
Nielsen competed in every component of practice and stayed afterward for additional reps. The Hauppauge senior tightened up his diet, hit the gym and tirelessly asked his coaches how he could improve and be challenged.
“As an athlete, you have to have that inner drive to succeed,” Lionetti said. “You have to have that drive to go to the championships — championships don’t come to you.”
Nielsen chased championships all winter and exited the pool with the grand one — a state crown. Nielsen won the 50-yard freestyle in an All-American consideration time of 20.68 seconds at the boys swimming state championships at Ithaca College on March 5.
“He had the look at the beginning of the year,” Lionetti said. “You saw something was going to be special this year.”
Such as being named Newsday’s Swimmer of the Year.
Nielsen also finished sixth at the state championships in the 100 freestyle (46.63). Previously, he won the 50 and 100 freestyle county titles.
Nielsen, who will swim at Geneseo, didn’t think he would graduate as a state champion when the year started. But he saw his time continuously drop in the 50 freestyle and focused on that race all season. He became determined to prove his initial thoughts wrong and graduate as a state champion.
“It is really special to know after putting in all the work that I finally accomplished this,” Nielsen said. “I really feel like what I did going into this season worked really well.”
Lionetti said Nielsen and Marcus Ballerini pushed each other in the pool all season. When Nielsen exited the Ithaca pool with tears in his eyes, Ballerini and the Hauppauge coaches all shared a cry.
“I was just trying to take in the moment,” Nielsen said. “I realized it was a really special moment for me because I worked really hard for it.”
Nassau Swimmer of the Year: Ryan Nunez, Kellenberg, Jr
He finished fourth in the 100 butterfly (50.50) and fifth in the 200 freestyle (1:41.12) at the state championships.
Patrick Broderick, Manhasset, Jr.
He placed third in the 500 freestyle (4:33.55) at the state championships.
Noah Cakir, St. Anthony’s, Fr.
Cakir placed second in the 200 individual medley in an All-American consideration time of 1:51.33 and finished fourth in the 100 breaststroke (57.02) at the state championships.
Matthew Chang, Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK, Sr.
Chang placed third in the 100 breaststroke in an All-American automatic time of 56.82 and eighth in the 200 IM (1:54.32) at the state championships. He is committed to swim at NYU.
Michael Jang, Commack, Sr.
He finished fifth in the 200 individual medley (1:54.01) and fifth in the 100 breaststroke (57.13) at the state championships. He is committed to swim at Amherst.
Liam Preston, Miller Place, Sr.
Preston won the public school state championship in the 200 freestyle, posting an All-American consideration time of 1:38.88. He took second in the Federation race. The Binghamton commit placed second in the 500 freestyle in an All-American consideration time of 4:31.59.
Nicholas Rhodes, South Side/Lynbrook, Jr.
Rhodes won the 100 butterfly (50.70) and 100 backstroke (50.61) at the Nassau championships.
Joseph Tonna, Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman, Sr.
He placed second in the 100 freestyle in an All-American consideration time of 45.70 and seventh in the 50 free (21.42) at the state championships. He also was part of a 200 medley relay team that finished third and a 400 freestyle relay team that finished fourth at the state championships.
Alex Zhang, Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman, Sr.
He won his fourth straight Suffolk diving championship and finished fifth at the state championships. He will dive at West Point next year.
St. Anthony’s 200-yard medley relay: Aaron Mendoza, Soph.; Noah Cakir, Fr.; Connor Brown, Jr.; Matthew McManus, Jr.
These Friars won the 200 medley relay Federation state championship in an All-American consideration time of 1:33.44.
Coach of the Year: Meg McConnell, Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman
Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman won team Suffolk title, snapping Half Hollow Hills’ 15-year championship winning streak.
