Joe Tonna's final relay leg delivers Suffolk team swim crown to HHW

Joe Tonna was itching to get off the block. He knew his swim could be the one to snap a historic streak and take down a perennial power in Suffolk County boys swimming.

And he soaked in every second of it.

The combined Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman boys swimming team entered the final event (the 400-yard freestyle) of the county championships with the most team points. The swimmers knew if they won the last race, they'd secure the title and snap Half Hollow Hills’ 15-year championship winning streak.

"What a way to end the meet," Tonna said. "The (400-yard freestyle) relay, last leg of the relay to win the meet, nothing’s better than that. It all came down to me, I love the pressure but we got it done."

Tonna dove off the block with his team in second place in the race after a strong swim by Pierre Leroy brought them back into contention. When he touched the wall, Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman won the race and secured the team title at Stony Brook University Saturday afternoon.

Huntington/Harborfields/Whitman finished with 323.5 team points. Half Hollow Hills finished second with 255 points.

"We wanted to prove to the league and the county that we’re top dogs," said Tonna, who also finished second in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle. "To be able to come to the championship and win the county, there’s nothing better. I think we’ve made our point and people will start to respect us now."

SEE PHOTOSPhotos: Suffolk boys swimming championships

Evan Spagnoletti, Jonathan Larice, Leroy and Tonna won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:15.69, edging out Connetquot/East Islip’s time of 3:16.85. The team of Tonna, Leroy, Spagnoletti and William Weber also won the 200 medley relay in 1:37.23.

"It’s historical," Leroy said. "Our schools, we’ve never been too good at swimming. We’ve had one or two good swimmers but never a strong team. Hills has always had a strong team."

"We knew we had the pieces," coach Sean Montalvo said. "We’re not a huge team, even though we’re three schools. We barely have 22 swimmers so we knew we had to do everything right and one little thing at this meet could have cost us the meet."

There were also three swimmers who each won two individual races. Hauppauge’s Jake Nielsen won his first two county titles, taking the 50 freestyle in 20.87 and 100 freestyle in 46.57. He slapped the water in excitement and nearly sprinted out the pool after seeing his 50 freestyle time.

"My goal was to go in 20 seconds and for it to actually happen was a dream come true," he said. "I feel like I really made a comeback this year."

Miller Place’s Liam Preston and Commack’s Michael Jang each won two individual races — just like they did last year. Both swimmers said the championships felt much different this year with fans allowed at the pool.

"The fans and overall ambiance are really helpful," Jang said. "It’s really obvious and notable to anyone that this is a much faster meet than last year and I think the crowd has a lot to do with that."

"It makes a huge difference because you know there’s a lot of people watching you," Preston said. "You want to show what you can do."

Preston won the 200 freestyle in 1:38.70 and 500 freestyle in 4:32.76. Jang won the 200 individual medley in 1:54.40 and 100 breaststroke in 57.07.

Comsewogue’s Noah Giunta won the 100 butterfly in 50.67 and Kings Park’s Martin Perecinsky won the 100 backstroke in 50.75. Ward Melville’s team of Muhtar Konar, Thomas Miele, Richie Hall III and Vinny Vinciguerra won the 200 freestyle relay in 1:29.47.

And whereas last season the county championships signified the culmination of the season, many Long Island swimmers prepare to travel to Ithaca College for the state championships March 4-5.

Jang, a senior, can’t imagine a better ending than graduating a state champion.

"It would mean a lot," he said. "I’ve always wanted to have a legacy at my school and be one of the greats people know in the future. And to perform well at states would be such an amazing opportunity for me and my family to justify the work I’ve been putting into it."