Philip Sadchikov had his eye on the top step of the championship podium since he was in eighth grade.

He finally got his opportunity on Saturday afternoon.
Twice.

Sadchikov won the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard breaststroke at the Section 9 Boys Swimming Championships at Valley Central High School.

“It’s truly an honor,” said Sadchikov, a senior at Marlboro High School. “I’ve been dreaming of getting a section title since I was in eighth grade, since I came to sections.”

He came into the sectional meet, having already qualified for the upcoming New York state championship meet in both events.

His day started with the 200-yard individual medley, where he posted the highest preliminary time on Thursday and beat second-place finisher – Anthony Bruno – by nearly 3 seconds.

His championship time of 1:56.04 championship time on Saturday was 2 seconds faster than his Thursday preliminary time.

Then he came back for the breaststroke, again with the top prelim time, and won the event with more than a second, beating Minisink Valley’s Kyle Harrison. His final swim of 59.08 was over a second better than his preliminary time.

“Phil is probably one of the hardest working athletes I’ve coached,” Marlboro coach Amanda Griffin said. “It’s gotten to the point where he started coming in and practicing before school as well as after school, as well with his club team.”

Sadchikov was the only Marlboro swimmer to participate at the sectional meet. His younger brother, freshman Maximilian Sadchikov was 19th in the 100-yard backstroke and eighth-grader Ayden Baxter was 23rd in the 500-yard freestyle.

“Hopefully (his success) brings more people out and brings this team to a higher level,” Griffin said.

With a small team, the Dukes shadowed Newburgh Free Academy, a mutually advantageous arrangement as the Goldbacks don’t have access to their own pool, which is unusable due a leak in the main drain.

“Even though we’re technically different teams, it feels like family,” Sadchikov said.

“He’s a very independent leader,” Griffin said. “He will rise to the occasion no matter what it is.”

And now he’ll have to rise to the occasion on March 6 and 7 at the Nassau County Aquatic Center in East Meadow.

He went to the states for the first time last year, finishing 38th in the 100-yard breaststroke. He was disqualified in the 200-yard individual medley.

“They’re all very fast so it was making me very nervous,” Sadchikov said. “There was a lot of people watching. It was all very nerve-wracking.”

This year, with first-time jitters behind him, he once again has eyes on the championship podium.

“I’m looking forward to swimming much better,” Sadchikov said. “I’m not tapered so I think I will do way better at states. My goal is just to get on the podium.”