Dominating the Sea: The Pirates Parted the Waters to Become City Champions

The Stuyvesant boys’ swim team, the Pirates, were not only undefeated during their regular season but also claimed their title as the PSAL City Champions. After many successive wins, the team was challenged to earn the title and conquer expectations from previous seasons, where they were knocked out in the playoffs. With amazing teamwork and many hours in the water, the Pirates were able to prevail through all nine seasonal meets, fostering their confidence. Though eager for a chance to win finals and take the title from their arch-nemesis, Brooklyn Tech, the Pirates exhibited excellent sportsmanship and never got ahead of themselves. Such success thus far pushed them to the quarter-finals. Taking a closer look at Coach Alan Zhu’s carefully curated workout regime though, it is clear that the Pirates’ success was far from a stroke of luck. From practices everyday to weight-training twice a week, even through winter break, it is evident that the athletes poured themselves into their work and became committed to success.  

In the 2021-2022 season, the Pirates were narrowly defeated in the semi-finals by Brooklyn Tech. In the following 2022-2023 season, they once again lost to Brooklyn Tech, this time in the finals. After being barely denied a championship, they began training diligently for the next season to exceed previous expectations, earning themselves the City Champions title and matching the one the girls’ team, the Penguins, had previously won in the fall. 

With the aid of the new PSAL All-Access program, two talented and driven swimmers from NEST+m were added to the team. Sophomore Liam Mac Colla and junior Francesco Brillante faced a warm welcome from the team and quickly experienced the incredible morale and team spirit of the soon-to-be City Champions. With newfound speed, the Pirates advanced to the semi-finals against Francis Lewis High School. From the moment the swimmers slid into the cold water on February 8, they parted the waters for a final score of 70-31. The team, as a consensus, attributes this to their pre-meet song, “How Far I’ll Go” from the Moana soundtrack. “Moments before the race, music helps to calm our nerves and push out all unnecessary thoughts, allowing us to focus on what we’ve perfected in the past few months through the hundreds of practices,” senior co-captain Destin Yu said. 

While preserving their tip-top performance, the team began to taper for the long-awaited PSAL “Division A” championship. With teams from across the city gathered at Lehman College to compete, the Pirates gave a new value to what it means to “show up.” Not only did they shatter the 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay school records, but they also broke their previous 400 freestyle relay by 5.37 seconds. Additionally, the team also won the overall High Point Team Award, which is earned from the respective points each swimmer scores for the team, according to their place in an event. Mac Colla, sophomores Ethan Pak and Charles Ding, and senior Tommy Wang delivered in both relays and qualified to represent the NYC PSAL at the New York State (NYSPHSSA) meet. Pak and Mac Colla also received the Kevin Kwan Memorial Outstanding Sophomore Award. Through each of these individuals, the hard work, sportsmanship, and strength of the entire team shines through, most recently displayed when the relay team once again lowered their own 400 freestyle relay record by another 0.1 seconds at the NYSPHSSA competition. 

Confident that the High Point Team Award was indicative of who would be the final City Champion, the boys dove back into our home pool even more intensely. Expecting fierce competition, Coach Zhu further pushed the honing of technique and the importance of refining one’s race mentality in practice. As the Pirates trudged through the cold on February 15 to Lehman College, the anticipation of the season-defining race built up.

Walking out in their uniforms and grim black caps, the Pirates readied themselves to race the number two seed, James Madison High School, who had beaten Brooklyn Tech in the semi-finals, to determine who would be the City Champions. “Like I’ve told the team many times, it’s about your racing mentality, not your physical ability. Everyone is in shape,” Coach Zhu said. Thus, pushing forward, they began their deafening pre-meet chants to both hype themselves up and display their grit to the opponent. “The opening moments of the finals were both intense and exciting, as our team won the initial cheering battle and jumped out to the early lead thanks to our flawless diver Ben, coached by Coach Daniel Guerrero,” Yu said. 

The tension is high. The 200 medley relay lines up behind the blocks. The speaker narrates the event about to take place. The boys slide into the water and grip the blocks. They tense up, ready for their backstroke start. The buzzer sounds. There’s a resounding splash. The splash becomes one continuous sound, blending into the cheers and pure screams from the sidelines, as sophomore Thomas Mackey slices the water with his backstroke. Junior Michael Debrah mounts the block, readying for a quick relay exchange. Suddenly, with Debrah a stroke away, Brillante launches himself into the water. The screaming intensifies as teammates lean over the pool edge waving their arms, urging the swimmers onward. For a strong finish, Wang touches the wall. “With the unparalleled energy and cheering our team brought, we were sure to win,” Yu said. It was a phenomenal culmination of hard work and pent-up desire, resulting in the final score of Stuyvesant, 56, Madison, 42. With the Pirates officially City Champions, state qualifiers, and high point scorers, their season formally came to an end. 

“Many of us experienced personal best times. I’m really proud of everyone, especially our relay team going to states,” Wang said. The end of a season is always bittersweet as the captains and seniors have officially swum their last lap as a Pirate, and are reminded that there is nothing like watching each other grow and succeed. “The team spirit truly shows through the growth of the freshmen, who initially felt reserved, and became the loudest voices cheering on the team at finals,” Yu said. 

While the lane lines will no longer be taken out of the closet and stretched across the pool every afternoon, the whispers, friendships, and successes woven into them will be passed down to the next generation of Pirates.