Syosset Varsity Boys Swim/Dive Team Hope For 50th Win Friday

SYOSSET, NY —The Syosset Varsity Boys Swimming and Diving team — two-time defending Nassau County champions — are looking to snag their 50th straight win Friday when they compete against Levittown and East Meadow, school district officials said.

The team, which captured its first win just over 6 years ago on Jan. 13, 2015, entered the 2021 season with 48 consecutive dual meet wins, according to a news release issued by the school district. Spectators will not be allowed to attend the meet, which starts at 5 p.m., due to COVID-19 restrictions, but it will be live-streamed on the school district’s website and Facebook account.

Winning for the 50th consecutive time during the COVID-19 pandemic would be even more significant given the pause on high school sports and delayed seasons caused by the virus, district officials said. “We are fortunate to be able to compete in varsity swimming this year given the challenges presented by COVID-19, especially the graduating seniors who would have lost out if the season was cancelled,” stated Alexi Weis, one of the team’s three senior co-captain.

Head Coach Mike Cipollino called the consecutive wins impressive. “There is a real comaraderie on the team that has managed to pass from one generation to the next,” Cipollino stated in the news release. “The older swimmers encourage and motivate the younger swimmers, then the younger swimmers do the same for the next generation, and the cycle continues.”

Senior Co-Captain Michael Lu gave the credit all to his coaches, saying that the winning streak starts and ends with “our coaches.” “The countless hours they put in every single day and the hard-working and close-knit culture they’ve instilled in all of us has been something special to experience,” he stated.

Senior Co-Captain Joseph Chen said he could not wait to finish his high school career on a high note. “We have such a strong team this year, so I believe we'll be able to go undefeated this season once again, Chen stated.

The team members’ focus is trying their best in everything that they do while “being great representatives of our school and community,” Cipollino stated, adding, “One of the things that I am most proud of this team for is that each swimmer and diver is genuinely kind, respectful, and consistently demonstrates excellent character.”