Perley Sets Record for Rye Club at Swim Finals

RYE, N.Y. -- Tim Perley had his mind set Thursday on regaining a Westchester County Swim Conference record that was once in the family.

Perley’s older brother, Ted Perley, who is the captain of Colgate swimming, held the boys’17-and-under 100 breaststroke record of 59.98, set in 2007, until Alex Gianino surpassed it last year. Gianino lowered the mark to 59.60 seconds.

When the final concluded, the record once again belonged to a Perley. The Westchester Country Club 17-year-old swimmer clocked in at 59.14 to win the race and help lead his team to the championship. Westchester Country Club won its second consecutive title, finishing with 857.50 points. Lake Isle Swim Team was the runner-up (748.50 points) and Greenwich Swim Team was third (748 points).

“I wanted it because Alex, who is a good friend of mine and swims with Jim Flannery at North Carolina, took it from my brother,” said Perley, a 2011 Iona Prep graduate and incoming Bucknell freshman. “Only I should beat my brother and not anyone else.”

Perley, a Harrison resident, said his start was “almost perfect.”

“I wanted to hold back a little at the beginning because I wanted to bring it home strong,” Perley said.

Perley, who was the only finalist who broke the one-minute mark, took the lead on the first leg. Even though he was challenged at times during the race, Perley responded and revved it up a gear on the last lap.

“In the final 25 I could see the wall and I wanted to go as hard as I could,” Perley said. “I had a feeling I was 59 low. “When I saw the time and heard it was a record, I was surprised and excited. I grew up swimming here so I felt comfortable.”

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