On Thursday, February 6, the Delbarton varsity swim team traveled to NJIT for a highly anticipated rematch against Seton Hall Prep. Just over a month ago, on January 3, the Green Wave narrowly fell to the Pirates in a heartbreaking 86-84 loss. This time, however, Delbarton flipped the script, securing an identical 86-84 victory to advance to the Non-Public North Semifinals.
The meet kicked off with the 200 Medley Relay, where the quartet of Dom Narduzzi '27, Dalton Brooks '26, Femi Oshodi '26, and Max Ciechanowski '28 delivered a blazing time of 1:36.10. Their performance edged out Seton Hall Prep's relay team by 1.46 seconds, giving Delbarton an early 8-6 lead. In the 200 Freestyle, Anderson Ruhnke '28 and Kenny East '27 notched crucial second and third-place finishes, evening the score at 15-15.
One of the most thrilling moments came in the 200 Individual Medley. Trailing with just 25 yards to go, Brooks surged off the final turn with explosive speed, overtaking his Seton Hall Prep opponent to win by a razor-thin margin of 0.07 seconds, clocking in at 1:54.22. Ciechanowski kept the momentum rolling with a dominant victory in the 50 freestyle, finishing in 21.57 seconds, a full 0.43 seconds ahead of his closest competitor. Finn Maguire '26 and Jeffery Liu '26 added valuable points with third and fourth-place finishes, extending Delbarton's lead to 33-29.
After the break, Oshodi showcased his dominance in the 100 Butterfly, winning by a commanding 2.59-second margin with a time of 52.51. In the 100 Freestyle, Ciechanowski (47.94) and Narduzzi (47.99) powered to a decisive 1-2 finish, well ahead of Seton Hall Prep's top swimmer, who touched in at 50.61. Maguire contributed another point with a fifth-place finish in 53.02.
The 500 Freestyle saw East, Ruhnke, and Brooks claim second, third, and fourth places, respectively, boosting Delbarton's lead to 60-50 with four events remaining. In the 200 Freestyle Relay, the team of Oshodi, Ciechanowski, Liu, and Ruhnke secured a 1.94-second victory, further extending the lead to 12 points.
Narduzzi and Oshodi followed with a solid 2-3 finish in the 100 Backstroke, maintaining Delbarton's 10-point advantage. However, Seton Hall Prep mounted a fierce comeback in the 100 Breaststroke, sweeping the top three spots to tie the meet at 78-78, setting the stage for a dramatic finale in the 400 Freestyle Relay.
With everything on the line, the relay team of East, Ruhnke, Narduzzi, and Brooks delivered under pressure. Their determination and teamwork culminated in a decisive 3.38-second victory, clinching the 86-84 win for Delbarton.
Next up, Delbarton travels to Pingry on Monday for the Non-Public North Semifinals, aiming to avenge last year's quarterfinal loss and continue their postseason journey.
