WILDWOOD • Several close wins kept host Lafayette ahead of Parkway Central on Thursday in a showdown between two of the top boys swimming programs in the area.
Led by Patrick Vega's four-win performance, the Lancers won 101-85 and remain unbeaten in dual meets.
"They are the best dual meet team in the state," Central coach Kevin Mabie said. "We took some risks and knew things would have to go our way."
Vega was on the winning 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams. He also won the 200 IM and the 100 backstroke. Vega nipped Weissmann by 5 hundreths of a second in the backstroke with a time of 54.54, his best showing of the season.
"Patrick is so versatile," Lafayette coach Todd Gable said. "We had him swimming an off event in the backstroke."
Lafayette's Alec Morgan and Lucas Bruder earned three victories. Morgan won the 100 freestyle with a season-best time 49.10 and was also on the winning 200 and 400 freestyle relays.
Members of Lafayette's winning 200 medley team were Vega, Connor Parsons, Bruder and Josh Daminato. They came in with a season-best time of 1:42.27, finishing an eyelash ahead of the Colts. Bruder also won the 50 freestyle in 22.37.
In the 200 freestyle, Morgan teamed with Daminato, Parsons, and Jon Glaser to post a winning time of 1:33.76. Morgan, Vega, Glaser, and Bruder won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:22.93
"It's such a chess match in duels," Gable said.
It was the first loss for the Colts.
Central's Nick Orf won the 200 and 500 freestyle. Orf posted a winning time of 1:45.15 in the 200 and 4:41.59 in 500.
"We had a lot of good swims, and they are always a fun team to race," Orf said. "It was great going against Glaser. I know him from the club season, and it was good to get pushed liked I did today. It makes for better times."
Drew Larkins of Central had an impressive afternoon. He won the 100 breaststroke in 1:01.28, hardly a surprise considering he has the best time in the area in that event. But Thursday, Larkins also chipped in by winning the diving, posting a season-best score of 199.10.
Also winning for Central was Riley Brown in the 100 butterfly.
