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08/18/2016 12:00 AMOn July 26, the Madison Racquet and Swim Clubs swim team, the Mad Marlins, competed in the Connecticut Private Club Swim League Championship. The team, which is comprised of 76 swimmers ranging from age 6 to 16, captured its first swim league championship title at the event. There are 16 teams that compete in the Connecticut Private Club Swim League. Head Coach Christina Forristall took over the Mad Marlins summer program seven years ago and has been building a year-round competitive swim program ever since.
“I knew we had a good team, but never thought we would be able to win the championships,” said Forristall. “We had several families that could not attend the meet because of family vacations. I was just hoping we would place in the top three.”
During the morning session of the championships, kids aged 10 and under competed. Top finishers included Diggy Starkey, who was runner-up in the boys’ 6-U 25 freestyle, while Lily Vest placed third and Elizabeth Walsh was fourth in the girls’ 8-U 25 butterfly. Starkey also was fourth in the boys’ 8-U 25 butterfly and Cody Bershtein finished eighth in the same event. Julia Urbowicz took home first place finishes in the girls’ 9-10 age group for the 25 butterfly and 25 freestyle. Bridget Waters came in eighth in the girls’ 9-10 group 25 butterfly and also captured a fifth place finish in the 25 backstroke. Dylan Bershtien and Adam Signorello took fifth and sixth place, respectively, in the boys’ 9-10 group for the 25 butterfly, while Elizabeth Walsh tied for eighth in the girls’ 8-U 25 breaststroke. Brendan Riordan was third in the boys’ 25 breaststroke, as well as fourth in the boys’ 8-U 25 free. Dylan Bershtien also placed as runner-up in the boys’ 9-10 bracket of the 25 breaststroke.
Phoebe Hamblett took first in the girls’ 8-U 25 backstroke and then fourth in the 8-U 25 free. Vest took second in the 25 free. Thomas Starkey placed seventh in the boys’ 8-U 25 backstroke, while Haley Wines and Olivia Hansen-Hartmann finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the girls’ 9-10 group for the 25 backstroke. Signorello placed fourth in the boys’ 9-10 group 25 free and Will Cassidy was seventh.
In the afternoon session of the meet, the members of the Mad Marlins that are 11 years old and older competed. There were three relays that placed third: the girls’ 100 medley relay of Waters, Gabby Wira, Jackie Flaherty, and Haley Moriarty; the boys’ 100 medley relay of Signorello, Flynn O’Connell, Jae Pinilla-O’Dea, and Ryan Harvey; plus the boys’ 100 free relay of Will Cassidy, JD Starkey, Griffin Mascia, and Sean Laragy. The girls’ 100 free relay took first with swimmers Urbowicz, Catherine Arrandale, Ava Hamblett, and Allie Mascia.
In the girls’ 11-12 age group, Ava Hamblett took second in the 100 individual medley and was tops in the 50 free. Flaherty won the 50 butterfly and tied for third in the 50 free. Kelly Fay placed fourth in the 50 butterfly and seventh in the 50 free. Arrandale captured fifth in the 50 butterfly and was runner-up in the 50 backstroke. Other top girls’ 11-12 swimmers were Kacie Wines placing fourth in the 50 backstroke and Swenby finishing seventh in the same event. For the boys’ 11-12 group, Jack Signorello placed second in the 100 IM and fifth in the 50 backstroke. Ian Looby took fourth place in the 100 IM and third in the 50 butterfly. O’Connell added to his relay showing with a second place performance in the 50 breaststroke and he was fourth in the 50 backstroke. Starkey took third in the 50 backstroke, as well as second in the 50 free. Charlie Wira took eighth place in the 50 free.
The girls’ 13- and 14-year-olds also showed many impressive swims with Gabby Wira placing seventh in the 100 IM and then taking second in the 50 breaststroke. Kylie Scarpellino took fourth in 50 butterfly and sixth in the 50 breaststroke. Grace Vest claimed sixth place finishes in the 50 butterfly and the 50 free. Emilie Waters was third in the 50 breaststroke and fifth in the 50 free. Haley Moriarty rounded out the breaststroke by placing fourth. Alexa Betts also took top marks by placing fifth in the 50 backstroke and eighth in the 50 free. Boys aged 13 to 14 had more top-eight finishes this season than ever before at this event. Kevin Hoban and Jack Stein both tied for eighth place in the 100 IM and then Hoban took eighth in the 50 breaststroke, while Stein finished eighth in the 50 free. Ryan Harvey took fourth in the 50 butterfly and then captured first in the 50 backstroke. Jae Pinilla-O’Dea was fifth in the 50 butterfly and seventh in the 50 free. Griffin Mascia finished fourth in the 50 breaststroke and third in the 50 free. Hunter Bershtien also took fifth in the 50 breaststroke. Sean Laragy placed second in the 50 backstroke, as well as fourth in the 50 free. Finn Hamblett rounded out the top-eight finishers by finding fifth in the 50 backstroke.
New to the Mad Marlins Swim Team was Aidan Maloney, who placed sixth in the boys’ 15-and-over 50 breaststroke. For the girls’ 15-and-over group, Abby Falato placed eighth in the 50 backstroke, while Allie Mascia earned first-place finishes in the 50 backstroke and the 50 free.
Information courtesy of Christina Forristall