Austin Dunithan performs his final dive in Tuesday’s meet with Northridge. (Photos by Nick Goralczyk)

SYRACUSE — It is the time of the season where hard work start to pay off more than ever. For Wawasee’s Logan Brugh four years of hard work has been paying off through his senior campaign. Tuesday night Wawasee’s boy swim team fell to Northridge 127-53, but that didn’t stop Brugh from having a sensational performance.

The senior was smiling ear to ear in December as his times in the 500 free were as fast as they had ever been at that point in the season. His positive attitude and work ethic certainly caught the attention of his coach and teammates but being able to see that effort pay off against the Northern Lakes Conference’s elite team would be extra rewarding.

Brugh swam neck and neck with Northridge’s Connor Glenn and Seth Cripe for much of the distance event. Just minutes before, Wawasee fans saw a fantastic finish between Lady Warrior junior Paige Miller and Northridge’s Katie Hughes in the 500 and now fans were being treated to another fantastic race.

Glenn seemed as if he’d pull ahead but Brugh never fell behind. The two remained locked inches apart for the final stretch of the race and it would be the Wawasee senior setting a new school record in the end. Brugh broke his old record of 4:48.40 by swimming a 4:47.21, edging out Glenn’s 4:47.55.

“I really don’t have words,” said Wawasee head coach Julie Robinson when asked about Brugh’s performance. “He was so incredibly happy. He was another situation where we’ve been working on specific details. We’ve been doing that a lot with our 500 swimmers. He nailed every one of them. He looked so good. His finishes were fabulous in both of his races today.”

Brugh also took second in the 200 free (1:47.29).

Wawasee took advantage of an empty Northridge diving roster to pick up its other win of the night. Austin Dunithan beat out teammate Brady Claassen for first in the diving portion of the meet. Dunithan finished with a score of 164.65, Claassen scored a 127.80.

Northridge was victorious in the evening’s other 10 events, including taking the top two spots in both the 200 free and 200 medley relays.

Outside of Brugh’s new school record the Warriors had other milestone times in Tuesday’s meet.

Isaiah Metcalf clocked a lifetime best in both the 200 free and 100 fly while Brett Willaman had a season best in the 100 free. Jacob Krugman also recorded a lifetime best in the 100 breast.

Brady Robinson took third in both of his events against the stacked Northridge squad. The sophomore swam a 2:00.14 in the 200 IM and later a 56.75 in the 100 back. Jared Krugman also had trouble swimming against Northridge’s upperclassmen. The freshman finished fourth in the 200 IM (2:10.56) and 100 breast (1:08.07).

“We’ve got a little more work to do with the boys team yet then we do with the girls,” said Robinson. “Thankfully we have a few more weeks to work with them. That being said, I think we’ll be where we need to be when the time comes.”

Wawasee (3-3, 3-3) will host Goshen Saturday and will not compete again until the NLC prelims on Jan. 28.