Xaverian Clippers become the C Division Champs,

And High Scoring Team

at the CHSAA Individual Novice Championships.

The Xaverian Clippers posted 30 personal best times on their way to becoming the C Division Champions as well as the high point scoring team at the CHSAA individual Novice Championships held Saturday January 28^th at the Lehman College pool.

This is the 2^nd Novice Championship for the Clippers, their last Championship was back in January of 2009. The Clippers took the title by accumulating 337 points, surpassing the second place finisher, Molloy, by 77.5 points, and represents the most points ever scored by the Clippers at a Novice Championship meet.

The Clippers started out strong with a 4^th place finish in the first event, the 200 yard Medley Relay, with the team of sophomore Matthew Cappiello, freshman Harrison Jamin, sophomore Yanni Pittas and freshman Christopher Langan as the anchor. Senior Gabriel Atkinson then went on to win in the 200 Freestyle and the Clippers took the lead and they never looked back.

Cappiello paced the Clippers by being the team’s high point scorer at with 51.50 points which also made him the 2^nd overall point scorer at the meet. Matthew was the silver medalist in both the 200 Individual Medley and the 100 Breaststroke. Atkinson was the Clippers’ 2^nd highest point score with 50.50 making him the meet’s 3^rd highest point scorer. Gabriel was Xaverian’s only individual event winner as he took that honor with a gold in the 200 Freestyle. Gabriel also swam to a 6^th place finish in the 500 Freestyle. He later combined with Matthew as well as fellow senior Quintain Spencer and freshman Chris Langan to capture 1^st place in an exciting 200 Freestyle Relay race which saw the Clippers come from behind with a strong anchor leg from Matthew to take the win. The Clippers finished the meet as they started with a 4^th place finish in the 400 Freestyle Relay accomplished by the team of Atkinson, sophomores Daniel Gonzalez and Dimitri Leonardos and junior anchor Brandon Gilliam.

Aside from Cappiello and Atkinson, the Clippers had two other double individual medalists in junior Salvatore Ventrice who place 4^th in the 200 Freestyle and 7^th in the 500 Freestyle, as well as freshman Edward Morgan who placed 8^th in the 200 Individual Medley and 6^th in the 100 Butterfly.

Single individual medalists include sophomores Daniel Gonzalez who took 7^th in the 200 Freestyle and Yanni Pittas who received the bronze in the 100 Butterfly. The final individual medalists were a pair of freshman, Andrew Lee who finished 5^th in the100 Backstroke, and Chris Langan who added to his previous medals in the 200 Medley Relay and 200 Free Relay with a 6th place medal in the 200 Individual Medley.

Rounding out the athletes that represented Xaverian at the meet were, sophomores Matthew Bramante, Dean Gelsobello, John Freeze, freshmen Owen Crowley and Michael Salerno, along with junior Michael Olsen.