D'Innocenzo dominates

Brendan Fortin of St. John's Prep won the 500 freestyle title. (JAY CONNOR/FOR THE GLOBE)

Dominance was the theme at Harvard's Blodgett Pool last night in the boys' Division 1 state swimming and diving championships.

Andover senior Nick D'Innocenzo dazzled, and St. John's Prep relied on depth to win with 221 points, leaving Lincoln-Sudbury (159) and Andover (151) in its wake.

"Best senior class I ever had," said Prep coach Tony Padvaiskas, who was still dripping from his impromptu celebration swim with his team.

Still, Padvaiskas was soaked more in pride over his senior class, which went 53-0. "I [wouldn't] care if we were 0-53," he said. "Across the board, they're just great kids who earned everything they got today."

The Eagles sprang to a commanding lead, earning 85 points through the first three events by finishing second in the 200-yard medley relay and claiming three spots in the 200 freestyle and four in the 200 individual medley.

"They have depth more so than anything," Andover coach Mark Taffe said, referring to the fact Prep won just one event, Brendan Fortin in the 500 free. "[Padvaiskas] is a good coach. He knows where to put them."

Taffe's swimmer, D'Innocenzo, was the talk of the night. His time of 1:45.52 in the 200 IM broke the national high school record - 1:46.31 - set by Brandon Ally of Florida in 2004.

Still, D'Innocenzo wasn't done.

In the 100 breaststroke, an event in which he already held the meet and state records with a 57.26 mark, he had his sights on another national mark. The senior fell .15 seconds short, but still broke his state record with a time of 53.81. D'Innocenzo also helped push Andover's relay teams to a state record in the 200 medley with a 1:35.30 and a meet mark in the 400 freestyle relay with a 3:10.84.

"This is the way he swims all the time. This is the way he approaches every meet that he swims at," Taffe said.

People have noticed. D'Innocenzo is bound for the University of Texas on a full scholarship.

Lincoln-Sudbury seized from Andover by taking 42 points in the diving. Sophomore Ryan Shelley won with a score of 501.80, and three of his teammates also placed.

Still, D'Innocenzo wore a smile from ear to ear as he walked back to join his coach after the meet. "It was a great way to end my senior year," the Golden Warrior-turned-Longhorn said. "I couldn't have asked for more."

Some of his Andover classmates in the fan section asked for his autograph as they joked with him. They need only look to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association record sheet, which now has his name all over it.

Other winners included D'Innocenzo's teammate and junior Paul Hunter in the 50 free (21.15) and 100 back (51.92), BC High senior Brian Keane in the 100 free (47.76) and 200 free (1:43.88), and North Andover sophomore Bryan Walcker in the 100 fly (52.03).