Haverhill senior Brian Story has been selected as the Valley Sports Daily Player of the Week for Feb. 9 through Feb. 15. Story is the eighth student-athlete chosen as Player of the Week for the winter season.
Story turned heads at the Division 1 state championships on Sunday, taking gold in the 100 breaststroke in a school record time of 57.26. The talented senior also notched a second-place finish in the 200 IM (1:54.80) while having a hand in Haverhill’s fifth-place finish in the 400 free relay and a sixth-place finish in the 200 medley relay.
In the 400 relay, Story played a key role in another school record, teaming up with Miles Bunyar, Levi Abrams and John Papageorgiou (1:38.99) to edge their own school record by over two seconds. In fact, all four of the events he competed in were school records.
“Against an excellent field at the MIAA Division 1 state meet, Brian contributed to 4 Haverhill High records during his 4 state meet swims: 2 individual events and 2 relay events, with all four being best times,” said Haverhill head coach Dan Tanguay. “After coaching Brian for 4 seasons, it was incredible to witness his tenacity and perseverance culminate in not only an excellent overall performance, but a state title in his final high school meet.”
Click here for a photo gallery from the MVC Championship meet.
The Hillies were the highest-scoring Merrimack Valley Conference team at the event, amassing 121 points for seventh place in front of Chelmsford (93 points, 12th) and Andover (17 points, 28th). Haverhill’s Bunyar also impressed, taking fourth in the 200 free (1:44.85) and seventh in the 100 backstroke (53.72).
Elsewhere, Chelmsford’s Christian Petrilli touched sixth in the 200 free (1:48.76), and Noah Wildt placed seventh in the 200 IM (1:59.79). Finn Hughes starred in the butterfly (52.55, eighth). For Andover, Ivan Karpau finished behind Story in the 100 breaststroke in 57.43 for second.
The Player of the Week is selected by the Valley Sports Daily staff. Nominations can be submitted throughout the week up until Saturday night at 8:00 PM. There may be a poll posted on Sunday with the nominations. The results of the poll influence the selection but do not strictly dictate the decision.
