ENDWELL, NY (WBNG) — > “When we saw that time up there it was just pure excitement and joy,” said Sophomore swimmer Strati Anastos when asked about his team.
One minute, twenty-nine point six five seconds. The Maine-Endwell 200 meter free relay team set a new pool record in their event at this year’s annual Blizzard invitational. The time is the sixteenth faster in the state this year, locking up a spot in State’s for the relay team.
“It’s really exciting. It’s happy to hit that benchmark just so you ensure that you have a spot in states, and it’s a good feeling to know that my season is not ending on my Senior year so quick,” said Carter Czebiniak. The team’s lone Senior.
Junior Cole Medina would add “We’ve been working for this all year. We were just grinding with everybody. So, we deserve it.”
The group is used to breaking records. It’s the third time they have broken their own mark. The group holds the 4 fastest times recorded inside the STAC Metro Division. The relay team’s Coach Andrew Krise said the four swimmers help pace the program, setting a standard for the rest of the team. “Guys like this are what’s made this possible. They truly are the reason why Maine-Endwell is so relevant in the section, and in the state. And they deserve that recognition.”
While the boys time was red hot at the Blizzard Invitational, they still have unfinished business. Setting the school’s all-time mark, “That’s the goal, it’d mean everything. To leave my mark on the pool, and to just have something up there to have people remember us. That would be pretty amazing,” said Anastos.
When you ask Billy Underwood, the fourth member of the relay team, he says quote “It’s all a lot of hard work being paid off.” The Maine-Endwell 200 Meter Freestyle Relay Team. This week’s 12 Sports Athlete’s of the Week.
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While influenza remains the top concern for Maine public health experts, other viruses are also currently circulating, including norovirus and COVID-19.
“Influenza is clearly the main event,” said Dr. Cheryl Liechty, a MaineHealth infectious disease specialist. “The curve in terms of the rise of influenza cases was really steep.”
Maine reported 1,343 flu cases for the week ending Jan. 3, an uptick from the 1,283 cases recorded the previous week, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Hospitalizations increased to 147 from 108 during the same time periods.
“I hope the peak is now,” Liechty said, “but I’m not really sure.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday that all of New England, except for Vermont, is currently experiencing “very high” levels of influenza. Vermont is in the “moderate” category.
“What we are seeing, overwhelmingly, is the flu,” said Andrew Donovan, associate vice president of infection prevention for Northern Light Health. “We are seeing both respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses in our patients.”
Norovirus also appears to be circulating, although due to its short duration and because it’s less severe than the flu, public health data on the illness — which causes gastrointestinal symptoms that typically resolve within a few days — is not as robust.
“Norovirus is the gastrointestinal scourge of New England winters and cruise ships,” Liechty said.
According to surveillance data at wastewater treatment plants in Portland, Bangor and Lewiston, norovirus levels detected in those communities are currently “high.” The treatment plants participate in WastewaterSCAN, which reports virus levels in wastewater through a program run by Stanford University and Emory University.
Dr. Genevieve Whiting, a Westbrook pediatrician and secretary of the Maine chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said viruses are prevalent right now, especially the flu and norovirus.
“For my patients right now, it’s a rare encounter that I hear everyone in a family has been healthy,” Whiting said. “I’ve had families come in and say their entire family has had norovirus. Several of my patients have had ER visits for suspected norovirus, where they needed IV fluids because they were dehydrated.”
Both Liechty and Whiting said they are seeing less respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, likely because there has been good uptake of the new RSV vaccine, which is recommended for older people and those who are pregnant. The vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2023.
“The RSV vaccine has been a real success, as RSV was a leading cause of hospitalizations for babies,” Whiting said.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases increased to 610 in the final week of 2025, compared to 279 the previous week. Influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations are available at primary care, pharmacies and clinics across the state.
“If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet,” Liechty said, “you should beat a hasty path to get your shot.”
Defensemen Max Wanner was re-assigned to the Maine Mariners from the Providence Bruins on Thursday. Defenseman Michael Underwood was also re-assigned to Maine.
Wanner, 22, was acquired by the Boston Bruins when they traded Trent Federic to Edmonton last March. He played in 15 games for the AHL Providence Bruins at the end of last season, and seven this season.
Underwood returns for his second stint with the Mariners. He appeared in 67 games with Maine last season.
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