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03/19/2013 12:00 AMThe Tigers boys' swimming squad finished 10th with 194 points in the Class M State Championship on March 13 at Wesleyan University. While there were no event winners for Hand, Joseph Natarelli led the way with a fifth-place finish in the 50 free competition (22.53).
Additionally, Natarelli finished seventh for the 100 free (49.58), while Doug Wu (17th, 23.74) also took part in the 50 free. Other solo performances were conducted by Noel Haren in the 100 breaststroke (12th, 1:04.76) and 200 free (19th, 1:50.61), along with Jack Lynch (15th, 1:00.97) and Ethan Crans in the 100 backstroke (19th, 1:02.01).
In the relay category, the 200 free squad of Natarelli, Wu, Haren, and Nicolas LaSala took home the highest Hand relay finish at seventh (1:33.29). In the 400 free, the quad of Natarelli, Crans, Wu, and Haren finished 10th (3:28.97), while the 200 medley comprised of Lynch, LaSala, Timothy Smith, and Matthew Allen came in 16th (1:54.89).
The campaign concluded on March 16 at the State Open, held at Yale. Natarelli finished 24th in the 50 free (22.69) for the Tigers.
The Tigers' ski team completed their season with two races on Feb. 26 and 28. In the first race against Amity, Cheshire, Glastonbury, Ridgefield, Southington, and Wilton, the girls' squad placed seventh, while the boys finished 10th against Amity, Branford, Cheshire, Fairfield, Glastonbury, Litchfield, Ridgefield, Southington, St. Luke's, and Wilton.
For the Feb. 26 race, the girls were led by Hannah Walton (19th), Anna Baker (30th), Abigail Smith (48th), and Abby Fedus (49th). Additional Tigers were Jen Bruciati (58th), Danielle Klaskin (62nd), Jen Fedus (64th), Emily Kuck (65th), Hannah Scholnick (66th), and Bridget Gautrau (68th), and the boys were highlighted by Ethan Wilson, finishing ninth. Other Hand placements were made by Ryan Garb (48th), Jared Newton (68th), Matt Griffin (75th), John Burzenski (77th), Mike O' Sullivan (84th), Noah Rubin (90th), and Pat Baker (97th).
In the Feb. 28 race against Berlin, Darien, Fairfield, Lauralton Hall, Staples, and Wilton, the girls placed fifth, and the boys seventh against Berlin, Branford, Darien, Fairfield, Farmington, New Canaan, St. Luke's, Staples, and Wilton.
Wilson led Hand again, this time with a third-place finish. He was followed by Garb (38th), Newton (65th), Griffin (68th), Burzenski (71st), Chris Parker (73rd), O' Sullivan (74th), Jake Robertson (78th), and Rubin (85th). Rennie led the girls' pack in finishing sixth, while she was preceeded by Walton (24th), Baker (34th), Smith (45th), Abby Fedus (48th), Nicole Harvey (49th), Emilee Wargo (50th), Hanna Krause (52nd), and Klaskin (75th).
Hand skiers in Rennie, Baker, Wilson, and Stefan Pelletier were chosen to compete in the CISL (Connecticut Interscholastic Ski League) Shoot Out, which are two additional races in Giant Slalom and Slalom shootouts to determine the top skiers in the program. In respect to the GS, Rennie placed 12th, 18th overall; Ethan Wilson placed 18th, 13th overall; Baker placed 45th, and Pelletier placed 27th.
The CISL State Open was held on March 11 at Mt. Southington, as Rennie placed eighth out of 101 girls, and Pelletier placed 27th out of 131 boys. For additional postseason honors, Wilson was on Team Connecticut in its regional race at Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire, while he was selected for First Team All-State for CISL, and Rennie earned an honorable mention for All-State.