Bishop Hendricken was a heavy favorite to win Saturday's RIIL Boys’ State Swim Championship, but that fact didn't leave it any less motivated as it prepared for Saturday's meet. One thing has stayed with the Hawks all season. This title was for something special.

This title was for the box.

It sounds a little silly – and it is – but a 5x7-foot banner provided all the motivation Hendricken needed this season. Hanging on the wall at McDermott Pool, 29 of the banner's 30 squares were filled with the years the Hawks won a state championship. One was empty.

But it won't be for long. There was hardly any drama whether or not Hendricken would have the chance to fill that box because Saturday at Brown University, the Hawks executed according to plan and did what they normally do this time of year – win. Junior Dillane Wehbe won his first career gold and the 200 freestyle relay team won gold, but it was winning 14 medals and having 12 individuals score that led them to their 30th championship as Hendricken compiled 355 points, well ahead of second-place Barrington's 301.

“There was just that one spot. Every day we come to practice and there's just that one box that was empty,” Hendricken senior Alex Vessella said. “Our coaches would just say to us, ‘get one for the box.’”

“There was only one spot left and we were really hoping it would be this year,” Wehbe said. “We really wanted to give it to coach [Dave Hanson], give him that 30 because, in my opinion, he's the greatest coach to ever live.”

Hendricken wasn't relying on one swimmer Saturday. It needed everyone to come in and perform the way they had been all season. With 32 possible scoring positions – teams can enter four swimmers in each individual event – 12 different Hawks scored in 23 of those spots. There wasn't a team in the state that could come close to matching that depth.

Barrington's elite swimmers stole the show, with Harry Homans winning the 200 individual medley and the 500 free and Ethan O'Connor winning the 50 and 100 free. The pair also swam on the Barrington 200 medley and 400 free relay that won, but those wins didn't do nearly as much damage as Hendricken's full arsenal.

An individual win gets you glory and 20 points. The Hawks scored four swimmers in the 200 free, 200 IM and 500 free, scoring 44, 43 and an insane 56 points, respectively. Those three races plus the relays – where points are doubled – scored Hendricken 251 of its points with five events still not even counting.

“The team, we don't need a state champion,” Wehbe said. “We don't need that state champion because we work harder than anyone in the state.”

“We really all came together,” Vessella said. “Coach was saying all year, it's the sum of all the parts and that's what it really came down to.”

The individual star for the Hawks was Wehbe. The junior was seeded third in the 200 free, but overcame a slow start to overtake Portsmouth's Vincent Downs-Honey and Cumberland's Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar to win his first gold.

“I've been dreaming about that gold,” Wehbe said, “since my freshman year.”

The most exciting race for Hendricken came in the 200 free relay as Vessella swam a spectacular 21.79 – the fastest 50 split of the race and .13 faster than his second-place 50 free swim earlier in the meet – and passed Cumberland's Aidan Ocampo in the final 25 yards, beating him to the wall as teammates Mike Lupino, Owen Schriber and Connor Levine celebrated around the starting block.

“You have to win it for your boys,” Vessella said. “I love being the anchor and having it just come down to that.”

Vessella had a strong day as an individual with two second-place finishes in the 50 and 100 free. Wehbe added a second-place finish in the 500. Three other Hawks double-medaled Saturday; Lucas Stencel was third in the 100 backstroke and fourth in the individual medley; Aidan Blanchette was seventh in the IM and eighth in the butterfly; Kevin Sawyer was eighth in both the IM and 500.

Those weren't the only medals. Michael Ryan finished third in the 500 after nearly earning a medal with a ninth-place finish in the 200. John Walden was seventh in the 500 and added a 10th-place finish in the 200 free; Lupino took eighth in the 50 and added points with a 12th-place finish in the 100; and Levine finished eighth in the 100 breaststroke after coming in 10th in the fly.

Take those performances, plus scoring swims from Paul Fedorenko (12th in the 200 free, 15th in the breaststroke), Maxim Picard (12th in the IM) and Schriber (9th in the 50, 16th in the 100) and you see how important depth is to winning titles.

“It's the guys [who finish] from 9-16 that really matter to us,” Wehbe said. “They've worked so hard for it and that's what matters.”

“Everybody knows their place and they’re willing to be a team,” Vessella said. “We have guys like Connor Levine, who give up what they swam last year so we can fill spots for other events where we lack. That's what really brings the team together. We really come together and we're just a brotherhood. That's what drives us and that's what drives me.”

With a 30th title soon to be added to the banner, the returning Hawks won't have to search far for motivation next season.

“Hopefully we can get that new banner,” Wehbe said.