PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Men's swimming and diving senior Anthony Taboadela (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Hills) penciled out a memorable period to conclude the 2018 Metropolitan Championships and his illustrious four-year career in Wayne Feb. 18. The Rockaway, N.J. native obliterated his pre-existing WP 200 back record in the prelims and was later named the Metropolitan Collegiate Swimming and Diving Conference's Dick Krempecki Outstanding Senior as the Pioneers finished the competition seventh of 14 Division III teams and ninth out of 17 competitors overall, tallying 307 total team points.
 
The highly lauded award is named in honor of long-time St. John's head coach Dick Krempecki and is given annually to an outstanding senior who has contributed the most to the Metropolitan Conference and to the sport of swimming. This is the second time in two seasons that a Pioneer has received the accolade, as current assistant coach Vera Blazevska earned it last February.
 
Taboadela's record-breaking performance in the 200 back came in the prelims, touching the wall in 1:54:01, out-pacing his old record of 1:55.19, which was set at Mets in 2015. He would go on to place eighth in the A Final of the same event (1:59.89), while also helping pull the men to a B Final triumph in the 400 free relay (3:13.67). Junior Drew Macchia (Chatham, N.J./Chatham), senior Sammuel Melendez (West Haverstraw, N.Y./North Rockland) and sophomore Eamon Logue (Vernon, N.J./Vernon Twp.) were also involved in the season-best relay time.
 
Two more season bests were saved for the final day at Mets, as Melendez turned in a fifth place mark in the 200 fly C Final (2:00.69) and sophomore Jimmy Sharkey (Hamilton, N.J./Hamilton West) secured 18th in the 1,650 free (17:28.07). Melendez's season-best time came during the prelims as he qualified at 1:59.44. 
 
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