It’s the youngest group Newburgh Free Academy boys’ swimming coach Zach Williams has ever had.

Despite having one senior, three juniors and a team made up of swimmers and divers sophomore and younger, the Goldbacks have won four of their first six dual meets after sweeping New Paltz and Red Hook on Dec. 20 at Newburgh Free Academy.

The Goldbacks beat the Huguenots 104-68 and the Raiders, 103-69 in a four-way meet scored as two dual meets. The Marlboro Dukes, who shadow the Goldbacks with their seven swimmers, also were in attendance.

“I thought the meet was very cool,” Williams said. “I want to say a big thank you to Red Hook, New Paltz and Marlboro for allowing us to set this up. This was changed at the last minute, and everybody was very accommodating.”

Two competitors won their event in both meets.

Diver Cole Mullarkey won the diving event in both meets. He and fellow diver Brett Serafini were the only competitors in their event.

Junior Jackson Gerbes won the 50-yard freestyle in both meets and freshman Jack Mummery won the 100-yard butterfly in both as well.

The Goldbacks opened the meet against New Paltz with a win in the 200-yard medley relay and, in addition to his win in the butterfly, Mummery also won the 200-yard freestyle. Peyton Tuttle won the 200-yard individual medley, and the 200-yard freestyle relay team picked up Newburgh’s last win of the meet.

The Goldbacks swam exhibition in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 400-yard freestyle relay.

“We swam really well,” Williams said. “Red Hook is phenomenal. They’ve got a lot of fast guys. We just have more guys than them, and sometimes that happens. I thought we were competitive.”

Seventh-grader Connor Mummery and freshman Peyton Tuttle picked up the Goldbacks’ other two wins in the victory over Red Hook. Mummery won the 500-yard freestyle in 6:01.46 and Tuttle won the 100-yard backstroke in 1:00.31.

While the younger swimmers are having success, the Goldbacks are also having the growing pains that go with them.

“There’s a lot of DQs and a lot of mental errors, but it’s also very fun, more on the practice end,” Williams said.

“Coming every day and watching them learn how to practice better and train more and how to do yardage, and how to really properly get their bodies ready to compete and swim like an NFA swimmer. That’s been very cool. They’ve done an excellent job at that.”

They also don’t have the added stress of getting on a bus every day and training somewhere else like they had the past two seasons. Not only are fans back in the stands – even if it is on a limited capacity due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – but the Goldbacks are back in their own pool.

“They did an awesome job,” Williams said. “It looks great in here. It’s still a fast pool. NFA has traditionally been a fast pool in the area, and it’s still fast. It feels good.”

The four-way meet was the Goldbacks’ last competition of 2021, and they won’t compete against another opponent until Jan. 10 when they host Rhinebeck.

That gives Newburgh’s young swimmers plenty of time to train.

“I like when we have a break,” Williams said. “It’s a time to get back to a good training schedule. In college, you do training trips, but we take this time traditionally as your own little at home training trip. So, we’ll get the intensity going. This is really where your season makes or breaks, and that’s very fun to get into.”

Newburgh Free Academy 104, New Paltz 68
200-yard medley relay: 1. Tuttle Abrams, Domanico, Gerbes - 1:56.51; 3. Constancio, Burgarelli, Pagano, Gillmeier - 2:09.31
200-yard freestyle: 1. Jack Mummery 2:00.36; 2. Vicente Velasquez - 2:01.33; 4. Connor Mummery - 2:14.95.
200-yard individual medley: 1. Peyton Tuttle - 2:19.52; 3. Jax Pagano - 2:32.31; 4. Liam Baxter - 2:55.81.
50-yard freestyle: 1. Jackson Gerbes - 25.01; 2. Angelo Reade - 25.35; 3. Andreas Gillmeier - 26.59
Diving: 1. Cole Mullarkey - 153.35; 2. Brett Serafini - 134.25
100-yard butterfly: 1. Jack Mummery - 1:02.30; 2. Aiden Domanico - 1:04.56; 3. Sebastian Burgarelli - 1:09.68
100-yard freestyle: 2. Vicente Velasquez - 55.41; 3. Jackson Gerbes - 57.71; 4. Angelo Reade - 58.78.
500-yard freestyle: 2. Connor Mummery - 6:01.46; 4. Liam Baxter - 6:36.00; 5. Miles Davis - 7:31.02
200-yard freestyle relay: 1. Velasquez, Reade, Gerbes, Mummery - 1:39.36; 3. Burgarelli, Gillmeier, Pagano, Mummery - 1:52.14; 4. McNeil, Pagano, Tuttle, Baxter - 2:09.60
100-yard backstroke: 2. Peyton Tuttle - 1:00.31; 3. Aiden Domanico - 1:06.72; 4. Markus Constancio - 1:11.55.
100-yard breaststroke: Exhibition only
400-yard freestyle: Exhibition only

Newburgh 103, Red Hook 69
200-yard medley relay: 2. Tuttle Abrams, Domanico, Gerbes - 1:56.51; 3. Constancio, Burgarelli, Pagano, Gillmeier - 2:09.31
200-yard freestyle: 2. Jack Mummery 2:00.36; 3. Vicente Velasquez - 2:01.33; 4. Connor Mummery - 2:14.95.
200-yard individual medley: 2. Peyton Tuttle - 2:19.52; 3. Jax Pagano - 2:32.31; 5. Liam Baxter - 2:55.81.
50-yard freestyle: 1. Jackson Gerbes - 25.01; 2. Angelo Reade - 25.35; 5. Andreas Gillmeier - 26.59
Diving: 1. Cole Mullarkey - 153.35; 2. Brett Serafini - 134.25
100-yard butterfly: 1. Jack Mummery - 1:02.30; 2. Aiden Domanico - 1:04.56; 4. Sebastian Burgarelli - 1:09.68
100-yard freestyle: 2. Vicente Velasquez - 55.41; 3. Jackson Gerbes - 57.71; 4. Angelo Reade - 58.78.
500-yard freestyle: 1. Connor Mummery - 6:01.46; 2. Liam Baxter - 6:36.00; 4. Miles Davis - 7:31.02
200-yard freestyle relay: 2. Velasquez, Reade, Gerbes, Mummery - 1:39.36; 3. Burgarelli, Gillmeier, Pagano, Mummery - 1:52.14; 4. McNeil, Pagano, Tuttle, Baxter - 2:09.60
100-yard backstroke: 1. Peyton Tuttle - 1:00.31; 3. Aiden Domanico - 1:06.72; 4. Markus Constancio - 1:11.55.
100-yard breaststroke: 2. Jax Pagano - 1:15.97; 3. Michael Abrams 1:17.57; 4. Sebastian Burgarelli 1:21.47.
400-yard freestyle: Exhibition only