By STEVE MAZZONE

Sports writer

CUMBERLAND – For the first meet of the season, Bruce Calvert got about all he could ask for on Monday afternoon.
In a league-opening Sullivan-North encounter with Lincoln High, the longtime Cumberland High coach saw both of his squads leave the pool with easy triumphs.
The boys’ team, led by a multiple-winning effort from senior Jon Wesley, cruised past the Lions, 66-28.
With senior Brooke Smalley leading the way, the girls earned their victory in more convincing fashion, rolling to an 80-14 rout over their neighboring rival.

“I thought it would be a little closer with the boys,” Calvert admitted. “I knew the (Lincoln) girls were a little on the weak side. Today, with the girls, we tried to get everyone into the act.”
“The boys did better than I thought they would. I just have to get a few more kids that have missed practice in the pool. If we can do that, we should be even better.”
Wesley, a co-captain for the Clippers, took individual gold in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles. He also swam a leg on a pair of victorious relay squads, the 200 medley and the 200 freestyle. In one of the more exciting races of the afternoon, Wesley edged Lincoln senior Sam Carlson in the 100 freestyle with his time of 52.38 seconds.
In last year’s state championship, Carlson was second in the 50 and fourth in the 100.
“The 50 free, I led the whole time,” said Wesley, who clocked a winning time of 23.01 in the event. “In the 100, I was pretty steady. We were neck-and-neck. On the last lap, I just took off.”
“He got beat by his archrival,” Lincoln coach Tom Diorio said. “They go head-to-head every time they swim against each other. It’s still a little early for Sam. He’s also a big-time cross-country runner. We have to battle with Sam. He thinks he can win every time he’s out there. I said, ‘Wait, you’ll get your time down.’”
Cumberland also got a quality performance from newcomer David Kryscio. The Clipper senior comes to the team from Gelsenkirchen, West Germany. He’s an exchange student of sorts, spending a year at the high school with his cousin, a town resident.
Prior to jumping into the pool on Monday, Kryscio had not competed on a swim team since his early teenage years. He was primarily involved in lifesaving competition and was on a squad finished fourth in the German Championships last fall.
“It feels great,” he said. “Bruce (Calvert) prepared us well. It’s good to be on a team again and competing for a school.”
Kryscio captured the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:10.84. He was also part of the first-place 200 medley relay (1:52.82) of Wesley, Dan O’Brien and Dave DaSilva and the triumphant 200 freestyle quartet (1:38.94) of Wesley, DaSilva and Mike Redihan.
With the Clippers trailing the Lions by about a body-length with three laps to go in the 200 free relay, Kryscio, gave his teammates the lead for good with a half-lap remaining in his race. Wesley finished it off with a strong anchor leg.
“I went to the top of the first lap and I saw (Lincoln) in front of me,” Kryscio said. “After the turn, I didn’t breathe. Once I took my first breath, I saw him far behind me and just kept going.”
“He comes to practice all the time,” Calvert said. “He’s just a very talented kid.”
Cumberland also had first-place efforts from Redihan in the 200 freestyle (2:09.60), Alex Cinieri in the 100 butterfly (1:07.07), Dan O’Brien in the 500 free (5:44.73) and its 400 freestyle relay (4:00.67).
Lincoln had wins from Jake Petochelli in the 200IM (2:11.31) and Mickey Howe in the 100 back (1:01.40). Diorio knew it would be difficult for his squad to compete with the Clippers. He lost a considerable amount of talent from last year’s team that finished 5-6-0 in the league.
“We lost pretty much all of our ‘A’ relays,” Diorio said. “We are kind of having a rebuilding year, a lot of freshmen and sophomores. It’s early in the season. We haven’t really had a good full week of practice.”
Howe, Petochelli, Carlson and Justin Kelly are the top swimmers for Lions. Howe could be the best of the bunch.
“He’ll win anything he’s in,” Diorio said. “He’s a top national swimmer. He’s a club swimmer for the Little Rhody (Aquatic Club). I’m pretty sure he’s got a cut time for the nationals.”
The Cumberland girls were competing in their meet without the service of sophomore all-stater Meg Boebinger, who twice had appendicitis surgery and will be out until after Christmas.  Smalley did her part in filling the void. The senior copped the 100 butterfly (1:03.87), the 200IM (2:23.65) and had legs on the winning 200 medley relay (2:04.56) and the 200 freestyle relay (1:53.01).
“I can move them all around,” said Calvert about Boebinger and Smalley. “Brooke can swim all strokes and Meg’s good at freestyle, fly and distances. It’s good to have them both.”
Cumberland, which won 10 of the 11 events in the girls’ competition, also garnered medals from Lillie O’Connell in the 200 freestyle (2:16.15), Tori Kent in the 50 freestyle (27.98), Stephanie Wood in the 500 freestyle (6:14.57), Emily Thompson in the 100 backstroke (1:10.66), Jessica Cardoso in the 100 breaststroke (1:19.69) and its 400 freestyle relay (4:15.92).
The Lions had their lone victory from senior Alyssa Musket. Musket snared the crown in the 100 freestyle with her time of 59.29.
“As far as the girls go, there’s a few that need to get to practice and step up,” Calvert said. “The ones that have been coming to practice kind of equaled last year’s team (that finished 10-2-0 in the league and sixth in the state), which is good.”
***
Boys
Cumberland  66, Lincoln 28
200 medley relay – 1. C (Dan O’Brien, David Kryscio, Jon Wesley, David DaSilva) 1:52.82.
200 free – 1. Mike Redihan, C,  2:09.60.
200IM – 1. Jake Petochelli, L, 2:11.31.
50 free – 1. Jon Wesley, C, 23.01.
100 fly – 1. Alex Cinieri, C, 1:07.07.
100 free – 1. Wesley, C, 52.38.
500 free – 1. Dan O’Brien, C, 5:44.73.
200 free relay – 1. C (David DaSilva, David Kryscio, Redihan, Wesley) 1:38.94.
100 back – 1. Mickey Howe, L, 1:01.40.
100 breast – 1. Kryscio, C, 1:10.84.
400 free relay – 1. C (O’Brien, DaSilva, Redihan, Chip Redihan) 4:00.67.

Girls
Cumberland 80, Lincoln 14
200 medley relay – 1. C (Tori Kent, Brooke Smalley, Emily Thompson, Katelyn Bentley) 2:04.56.
200 free – 1. Lillie O’Connell, C, 2:16.15.
200IM – 1. Smalley, C, 2:23.65.
50 free – 1. Kent, C, 27.98.
100 fly – 1. Smalley, C, 1:03.87.
100 free – 1. Alyssa Musket, L, 59.29.
500 free – 1. Stephanie Wood, C, 6:14.54.
200 free relay – 1. C (Emily Young, O’Connell, Kent, Smalley) 1:53.01.
100 back – 1. Thompson, C, 1:10.66.
100 breast – 1. Jessica Cardoso, C, 1:19.69.
400 free relay – 1. C (Wood, Young, Kassidy McCormick, O’Connell) 4:15.92.