Roslyn’s Orry Zayit looking for more swimming gold

Orry Zayit’s name has become a fixture in his swimming team’s record book.

Since joining the combined Port Washington-Roslyn squad as a freshman, the Roslyn senior holds five individual program records (200-yard IM, 100 butterfly, 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 100 breaststroke).

His 100 butterfly time (49.63 seconds) is a Nassau record, which he set at last season’s county championship. One week before the county championship, he broke the record at the division championships.

“It’s an honor to have my name up there that high as a school record holder and county record holder,” Zayit said. “It just brings a lot of pride.”

Zayit, committed to swim at UConn, has eyes on individual state championships in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke this season, but also wants to build on the success he and his teammates have enjoyed so far. Port Washington-Roslyn is off to a 6-1 start through Saturday and is competing for a team county title.

“No one’s got that drive,” coach Joe Lennon said. “He’s going to outdo himself when put in that situation and he’s done that more than once.”

Zayit has been at the forefront of it all, with his teammates always seeking him for advice.

“They’ll ask me for help during warmups or help them with their stroke or turns and of course I’ll help them, I do everything I can for this team,” Zayit said. “Some of the kids, they need help concentrating on the race or sometimes they get nervous with it so I’m always there to help them.”

Zayit’s records aren’t limited to just individual events as he is a part of two relay teams with program records, the 200 medley relay along with the 400 freestyle. Zayit anchored the 400 freestyle record-time (3:27.65) Jan. 12 in a victory over five-time defending champion Garden City.

He swam his 100-yard split in 48.86 seconds during the relay, which Lennon said would be a state-qualifying time and his best performance of the season in a 100 freestyle event.

But Zayit said he and the other relay swimmers — Derek Knight, Ron Basac and Calvin Ye — weren’t thinking about setting a record. With the 400 freestyle relay as the final event of the competition, the swimmers just wanted to win the meet.

“I don’t think we actually wanted to break the record, we just wanted to defeat Garden City,” Zayit said. “It was a very good race. It came down to the last leg and it came down to me and a kid on the other team and I just told myself, ‘I need to beat him’ and it happened.”

Knight, a senior at Port Washington, has also been a key member of the team, excelling in the 50 and 100 freestyle races. Diver George Andreadis, a sophomore at Port Washington, set the program diving record with a score of 196.72 in a victory over Manhasset Jan. 11.

“This year everything just seems to be falling into place,” Lennon said. “The right swimmers in the right events and we just noticed that the times seemed faster than usual.”

And with Zayit spearheading the team, it allows Lennon to know he has a dominant swimmer regardless of what race he competes in.

“Wherever there’s a void,” Lennon said, “that’s where you can put Orry and he will do something amazing with that opportunity.”