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Rome Swims to 2nd in the 500 at States for East Haven

The East Haven-Wilbur Cross (EH-WC) girls’ swimming and diving team competed at the Class LL State Championship last week and finished in 15th place out of 20 teams at the meet. Norah Rome continued her fantastic freshman season by taking second place in the 500 freestyle and ninth in the 200 freestyle to help the Yellowjackets score 118 points at the State Championship, which was held at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven on Nov. 14. Numerous athletes from the team improved upon their times from the Class LL Qualifying meet that was held four days prior to the finals.

Fresh off her victory in the 500 freestyle at the SCC Championship, Rome claimed second place in the event by swimming a career-best time of 5:04.70 at the Class LL state meet. Rome only finished behind Ridgefield senior Anna Turner, who clocked in with a time of 5:00.34. Rome scored 27 points for EH-WC with her performance in the finals, while qualifying for the State Open Championship in the process. Rome had previously posted a time of 5:10.79 in the 500 freestyle at the Class LL Qualifying meet that took place at East Hartford High School on Nov. 10.

Rome also scored 19 points for the Yellowjackets when she took ninth place in the 200 freestyle at the finals behind a time 1:56.01, bettering her qualifying mark of 1:59.19. Rome qualified for the State Open Championship in the 200 freestyle based on her time in the finals.

At the State Open, Rome finished 10th in the 500 freestyle (5:09.17) and 22nd for the 200 freestyle (1:56.95) on behalf of East Haven-Wilbur Cross. The meet took place at Yale University on Nov. 17. 

Additionally at the Class LL State Championship, sophomore JJ Kim competed in a pair of individual events for Head Coach Leanne Boisvert’s team. Kim recorded a 20th-place finish in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:02.92 to score five points in the finals. She also scored three points by taking 22nd place in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:02.75. Previously, at the Class LL Qualifying, Kim swam a time of 1:02.98 in the backstroke and finished at 1:02.09 for the butterfly.

Additionally at the Class LL State Championship, the Yellowjackets’ 200 medley relay team of Kim, sophomore Alora McCarroll, junior Syreena Melendez, and Rome finished in 12th place with a time of 1:59.29 to score 30 points. The quartet improved on their time from the qualifying, where they recorded a time of 2:00.85. The 400 freestyle relay team of sophomore Sophia Chmelar, Rome, Melendez, and Kim scored 24 points by placing 15th in a time of 4:00.53. They had previously finished with a time of 3:58.90 at the qualifying. Also at the finals, the Yellowjackets’ 200 freestyle relay of junior Rebecca Flynn, sophomore Angelica Blaze, junior Alaiana Robert, and Chmelar earned 10 points by taking 20th place in 2:05.25. Their time at the qualifying meet was 2:04.17.