Nick Burdo’s much-decorated career with the Liverpool boys team would culminate in his effort during last Saturday’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship meet at Buffalo’s Erie Community College, where he twice got close to the top of the awards podium.
Burdo, who is going to St. Bonaventure next fall, entered the Burt Flickinger Center as the top state qualifier in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 45.98 seconds.
During Friday’s preliminary round, Burdo improved to 45.79 seconds, earning All-American consideration and going to the finals nearly half a second-faster than second-place Matthew Marsh (Jamestown), who went 46.20 seconds. Watertown’s Maclean Crossley was fifth with 46.88 seconds after qualifying first for the 50 freestyle.
Saturday’s championship race would see Burdo go even faster, finishing in 45.67 seconds, and yet it wasn’t quite enough for the state title. Marsh won in 45.51 seconds, relegating Burdo to the runner-up spot as Crossley (47.51 seconds), who took third in the 50 freestyle, was eighth here.
Also, Burdo took part in the 200 freestyle, looking to improve upon his season-best time of 1:46.03. He did so in a massive way, shattering the school record by posting 1:40.80 and qualifying second for the finals behind Spencer LaFata (Fordham Prep), who went 1;40.62. Burdo had the fastest time of any NYSPHSAA swimmer.
A day later, Burdo could not quite go as fast in the 200 freestyle final. His time of 1:40.94 put him in a dead heat for third place with Brockport’s Brandon Amthor. LaFata went 1:40.52, but settled for second place as Ithaca’s Kevin Miller blazed to a winning time of 1:38.87, more than two seconds faster than his qualifying mark.
Liverpool was also involved in a pair of relay events. In the 200 freestyle relay, Liverpool had gone as fast as 1:29.74 during the regular season, Burdo swam in this relay with Petit, Griffin and Ross, and improved to 1:28.29, ninth in qualifying, but missing out on the finals by just 0.02 seconds as Queensbury (Section II) was eighth in 1:28.27.
Moving on to Saturday’s final, the Warriors would improve again, to 1:28.01, and end up in 11th place. Half HollowHills went 1:25.94 and won by a slim margin over Brockport, who was second in 1:26.19.
The Warriors were the 20th qualifier in the 200 medley relay as the team of Tom Griffin, Hirota Hayato, J.J. Ross and Matt Petit having earned a time of 1:39.01 at one point this season. But Liverpool could only manage a 1:40.79 here, and settled for 29th place. St. Anthony’s won in 1:34.09 as Half Hollow Hills (1:35.74) was second.