What a state title debut it was for Londonderry's Margaret Edwards.
The freshman, competing in her first Division 1 state championship meet, won both the 50 freestyle (25.18) and the 100 breaststroke (1:09.87) to help the Lancer girls take sixth as a team with 104 points. She also swam a leg on both the third-place 200 medley relay team and the 200 freestyle relay team.
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Girls Swimming, 02/17/20 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
Pinkerton bowling (1,810 points) placed third in a quad meet on Saturday. Colby Wang led the Astros with games of 180 and 173. Lance Lemieux (211, 221), Matt Gagnon (152, 175) and Harry Michaud (192, 178) also had big days for Pinkerton.
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Girls Swimming, 01/26/20 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
CAMBRIDGE — Eagle-Tribune All-Star Kerrigan Hemp capped her stellar high school career in record-setting fashion on Sunday.
Hemp delivered a pair of individual victories, including a record swim in the 100 backstroke, earning Swimmer of the Meet honors, and freshman Maddy Marcella added a record of her own as Central Catholic took second as a team at the MIAA Division 2 Swim Championships at MIT.
The Raiders finished with 279 points, trailing just Wellesley (430).
“Overall, the team pulled together for a very good second place finish,” said Central coach Carlton Cronin. “Kerrigan swam great. I could speak about her for hours. She is the most successful swimmer I have ever worked with at Central Catholic.”
A two-time Eagle-Tribune MVP, Hemp first swam to victory in the 100 butterfly in 56.98. That was well ahead of the time of the Division 1 champ (58.50) from earlier in the day.
Hemp then shattered her own Division 2 meet record in the 100 backstroke in 55.94. She set the old mark (56.82) in 2017. That time on Sunday again beat the 2019 Division 1 champion (56.29).
“Kerrigan is an outstanding swimmer and an outstanding teammate,” said Cronin. “She demonstrated extreme maturity and sportsmanship. She was always the first to come to the pool and the first one in, getting ready for a championship. I will definitely be thinking of her next year.”
While Hemp — who will next swim for the University of Denver — was closing out her Raider career, a freshman made some history of her own.
Marcella won the 500 freestyle in 5:10.30, breaking Hemp’s Central Catholic school record. Marcella also took second in the 200 freestyle (1:55.47) and swam on a pair of relays.
“Maddy had a very strong swim in the 500,” said Cronin. “We are really looking forward to seeing what she can do in future years. The first person to inform me about Maddy breaking the record was Kerrigan. She was so happy for her teammate.”
Adding a second for the Raiders was the 200 freestyle relay of Maddison McAloon, Cailyn Scharneck, Julia Paradis and Madeline Freitas.
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Girls Swimming, 11/17/19 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
CAMBRIDGE — One is a freshman, already rewriting the state’s record books.
The other is a senior, who already contributed to three state champions, set on closing her career out with a bang.
On Sunday, both delivered dominant days to keep Andover firmly atop the Massachusetts swim world.
Freshman Michaela Chokureva set two state records, senior Emily Clements added two more individual titles and they teamed for a pair of relay victories, as Andover High surged to its sixth straight MIAA Division 1 Swim Championships title on Sunday at MIT.
The Golden Warriors cruised to the crown — their first since legendary head coach Marilyn Fitzgerald retired following last fall — with 456.5 points, far out-distancing No. 2. Needham (256 points).
“It’s amazing!” said Clements. “Our senior class finished 60-0. It never gets old winning state titles. The emotions of the team really get you excited. When everyone, no matter what they did, comes together to celebrate a title, it’s is so special.”
In her first state meet, Chokureva delivered a historic day.
First, the youngster set the state record in the 50 freestyle with a 22.18, breaking the previous mark set by former Andover star Rachel Moore in 2011 (23.37).
Less than an hour later, Chokureva again etched her name to the record books, setting a new state mark in the 100 freestyle in 50.09, breaking the old mark of 50.19.
“I am very shocked!” said Chokureva. “I had no idea I could set a state record, and definitely not two. But it feels so good. I was very confident, because I felt like I could swim my best times. But not set records.
“In the 50 free there was a mishap (with the starting gun) at the beginning. But that motivated me to swim faster. When they announced it was a state record, I was shocked. In the 100 free, I really wanted to get my best time. I was so happy about swimming a 50.19, but I had no idea it was going to be a state record.”
While Chokureva may not have been anticipating a record, first-year co-head coach Patty Barrett was less surprised.
“We knew early on, when she first joined the team, that she was very strong,” said Barrett. “Looking at the meet program going into today, I did tell her I thought she had the chance to break the records. She was unbelievable.”
Also adding a huge day was four-year varsity standout Clements, who won titles in the 200 IM (2:06.57) and 100 backstroke (56.29).
“As a sophomore I won the 200 IM and 500 freestyle, but I didn’t win last year,” said Clements. “I definitely wanted (an individual title) this year. As a senior, I wanted it a little more. I had never own a title in the 100 backstroke. Me and my teammate, Emily Ma (second, 2:10.48), did it together, so that was really special.”
Chokureva, Clements and Ma also teamed with Polina Malinovskaya to win the 400 freestyle relay (3:33.84) and Charlotte Moulson to take the 200 freestyle relay (1:38.50).
“The girls really stepped up with great swims and great dives, and it’s great to celebrate another title,” said co-head coach Becky Pierce, a longtime Andover assistant. “Michaela was absolutely incredible, Emily works so hard, and we are so proud of her. Everyone did so well, and it really never gets old.”
AMUAN SETS RECORD
Defending Eagle-Tribune MVP Malia Amuan of North Andover was back in record-setting form on Sunday.
The sophomore won the 200 freestyle in 1:48.32, breaking a 1-year-old state record (1:49.00 by Ashley Loomis of Franklin).
Amuan then showed off her versatility by setting a meet record in the 500 freestyle in 4:53.56, beating the No. 2 finisher by 15 seconds.
“It feels really good to win,” said Amuan, who won the 200 and 100 freestyles last year. “I’ve really been focusing on the 200 and 500 frees this high school season to try to get best times. I was very excited with the results.”
Is it tough for her to follow her MVP season of a year ago?
“I don’t want to worry about pressure,” she said. “High school swimming is about fun for me, and doing it with my team. It was a good day.”
SIMARD RULES DIVING
After finishing third as a freshman, Haverhill sophomore Cailey Simard won the Division 1 state title in the diving.
Simard finished with 450.25 points, well ahead of No. 2 Ellie Wilson of Needham (387.65).
“It’s super exciting,” said Simard. “It’s been a lot of hard work. I felt like I could win, but you never know what’s going to happen. So I’m really happy.”
Simard controlled the meet from the start. She led by 27 points after the preliminary round, and 35 points following the semifinals.
“My dives were really clean,” she said. “I think my inward dive the was the best. After the first five dives I felt like I had it. It was so much fun and so exciting. All the hard work paid off.”
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Girls Swimming, 11/17/19 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
