A virtual win is still a win

Valley Central swimmers top Goshen and Minisink, Pine Bush splits first two

By Mike Zummo
Posted 2/3/21

It was different.When Sean Zupko stepped onto the starting blocks, there were no competitors on either side of him. He was at his home pool at Valley Central High School and his competition was at …

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A virtual win is still a win

Valley Central swimmers top Goshen and Minisink, Pine Bush splits first two

Posted

It was different.

When Sean Zupko stepped onto the starting blocks, there were no competitors on either side of him. He was at his home pool at Valley Central High School and his competition was at Goshen last Wednesday and in Minisink Valley on Friday.

He didn’t find out until later that the Vikings had won both meets.

“When I’m swimming, it feels a bit different,” Zupko said. “There’s not someone next to me. On the deck, I listen to music and like to be in my own zone anyway.”

Zupko picked up wins in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles in Friday’s 103-73 win over Minisink Valley, and on Wednesday in the 119-58 win over Goshen. Not only was the competitor missing on the starting blocks, but also not making any waves on either side of him.

Nicholas Suchy (50-yard freestyle), Kellen Dickman (100-yard butterfly), Jacob Smith (100-yard freestyle) picked up wins for the Vikings against the Warriors. The 200-yard medley, and 400-yard freestyle relay teams also picked up victories.
Two days earlier, Suchy (50-yard freestyle), Dickman (100-yard butterfly) and Smith (100-yard freestyle) picked up wins for the Vikings. The Vikings swept all three relays.

However, despite the scoring, the dual meets have felt more like time trials, and not a competitive meet.

“If there’s someone next to me, I keep them in my peripheral vision and we push each other,” Zupko said. “You see that, especially at a championship meet. It’s good competition.”

He’d been swimming with a club team, but starting to swim on the interscholastically, but there’s something special about swimming with your home team.

“I was so excited (when the season started),” Zupko said. “My team this year, we are the greatest team. I was really sad when the first date (Nov. 30, 2020) didn’t happen, and they ended up pushing that back. I really wanted to make it back then, but it was awesome to see everyone back in the pool swimming together.”

Pine Bush splits
The Pine Bush Bushmen split their meets last week, opening their season by edging Warwick, 88-87, before losing to Washingtonville, 102-73, on Friday.

Tomek Oakes (200-yard individual medley, 100-yard freestyle) picked up two wins for the Bushmen in the win over Warwick.

Andrew Donaldson (50-yard freestyle) and Kaeden Fisher (diving) also picked up victories. The Bushmen won the 200-yard freestyle relay.

Charles Hufcut (2100-yard freestyle), Oakes (100-yard backstroke) and Donaldson (100-yard breaststroke) picked up a win each in the loss to Washingtonville. The Bushmen won the 400-yard freestyle relay.