It was Senior Day at Hedges Pool on Wednesday, February 19, and the Pelican boys swimming and diving team hosted the Wild Boars in an exciting afternoon of competition. 

Although Choate ultimately outscored Loomis Chaffee 115-70, the Pelicans competed well and achieved many personal bests. Among the highlights of the meet was freshman Christopher Nelson’s record-setting performance in the 100-meter backstroke.  

Before the meet began, the team honored the leadership and contributions of senior co-captains Matej Kubinsky and Harava Rahardjo along with fellow seniors Andrew Addo and Isaac Garcia. The celebration set the stage for a competitive meet between two of the top independent schools in the Founders League. 

The meet opened with the 200-meter medley relay, where the team of sophomore Jinsen He, junior Jerry Li, Rahardjo, and Kubinsky took second place. Then Nelson delivered a standout performance in the 200-meter freestyle. His winning swim in that event came just half a second away from the school record. Later in the meet, Nelson made history in the 100-meter backstroke. His winning time of 58.88 broke a 30-year-old school record.  

Junior Chris Zeng added to the Pelicans’ strong efforts with a victory in the 400-meter freestyle and a second-place finish in the 200-meter individual medley. Rahardjo fought hard in the 100-meter butterfly, touching the wall in second place with his fastest time of the season. Kubinsky secured second in the 50-meter freestyle, and sophomore Andy Vuong placed third in the 100-meter breaststroke, posting a personal best. On the diving board, junior Georges DeVos impressed with a first-place finish.  

With just seventeen days until the New England Prep School Swimming Association Championships, the Loomis team is well-positioned for strong performances. The team’s focus now shifts to Saturday’s final dual meet of the season at Deerfield.