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11/20/2019 11:00 PMThe East Haven-Wilbur Cross (EH-WC) girls’ swimming team turned in an excellent effort when the Yellowjackets hit the water for at the Class LL State Championship at Wesleyan University on Nov. 19. With only seven athletes competing, EH-WC scored 154 points to finish in 14th place among the 20 teams that participated in the meet, while setting several personal-best times along the way. Cheshire won the Class LL title by scoring 655 points to place ahead of Greenwich, which took second place with 586 points.
Second-year Head Coach Leanne Boisvert was pleased with how hard the Easties competed at states as they swam against some of Connecticut’s top squads in the Class LL ranks.
“Once the girls started getting in the water and feeling more comfortable, a lot of their anxieties about the championship started to slip away. There was a lot of camaraderie between the girls. They were all supportive of one another, all smiles, and cheering at every event,” said Boisvert. “It really didn’t matter where we were overall point-wise. We wanted to make sure everyone had a strong swim, and I’m very happy and proud of the results we got.”
EH-WC qualified entrants in nine events for the state finals. The Yellowjackets recorded personal-best times in seven of those events.
“They all managed to find that inner strength and push themselves to their limits at this meet,” Coach Boisvert. “Overall, they were all very consistent, had very smooth transitions in the water, and were able to shave off a those pesky few seconds here and there.”
The top finish for EH-WC came from sophomore Norah Rome in the 200 freestyle. Rome set a personal-best time of 1:55.74 on her way to taking sixth place in the event. In the 500 freestyle, Rome posted a personal-best mark of 5:06.38 and finished in ninth place. Earlier in the postseason, Rome won the 500 freestyle at the SCC Championship on Nov. 4.
“Norah has always been an amazing swimmer, and I feel her continued success in these meets and her ability to see the breakdown of what she’s swimming every 50 yards has really helped her understand herself as a swimmer and what she’s capable of,” Boisvert said. “It’s going to be wonderful to see where she can get to with all the dedication she has to swimming.”
By virtue of her performances in the Class LL meet, Rome qualified to swim both the 200 freestyle and the 500 freestyle at the State Open Championship for the second-consecutive year.
“It’s been a struggle for Norah to get herself down to where she is now. Her being able to find the strength and perseverance to get herself back to states, I couldn’t be prouder of her,” said Boisvert. “I think it’s helped her solidify her understanding that she has a place in swimming, and she has made a name for herself in the swimming community. I think her ability to work as hard as she did and get back to states was confirmation that she is a terrific athlete.”
Freshman Julia Rosado swam to a pair of personal-best times while placing 17th in two events. Rosado finished with a mark of 5:21.73 in the 500 freestyle and then clocked in at 1:01.43 for the 100 backstroke.
“Julia is one of those rare people who thrives under a great deal of pressure. When she gets up and knows she’s about to swim, she’s 100-percent relaxed,” Boisvert said. “It’s crazy to me how relaxed she is in such a tense atmosphere. “It seems effortless for her, so I’m excited to see where we can go as a team having her for the next three years.”
Junior JJ Kim also competed in two individual events for the Easties. Kim set a new personal-best time in the 200 individual medley, where she finished 13th at 2:14.02. Later in the meet, Kim notched a 15th-place finish in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:00.94.
“With her 200 IM, she did a wonderful job and got a new best time. The first thing we talked about when she got out of the pool was her splits and where we have room for improvement,” said Boisvert of Kim. “Even though our season is about to end, her season is just beginning with her other teams. So, she’s taking that info and bringing it to her coaches, so she can continue to work and come back stronger.”
EH-WC also saw solid showings from all three of its relays at states. The 200 medley relay of Rosado, junior Alora McCarroll, Kim, and Rome finished 14th with a time of 1:56.62; the 400 freestyle relay featuring Rosado, McCarroll, senior Syreena Melendez, and Rome placed 15th at 3:55.32; and the 200 freestyle relay group of junior Angelica Blaze, junior Sophia Chmelar, Melendez, and Kim came in 17th place with a 1:49.86. The times for the 200 and 400 freestyle relays were new season bests.
“The 200 [freestyle] relay, the entire season we’ve been trying to break 1:50. These past few weeks, we’ve been doing a great deal of interval training and trying to push the girls to really get the best out of their swim,” Boisvert said. “I was completely and happily surprised at how they were all about to go 29 seconds or less [in their splits]. That was a really nice thing for me to see, because they’ve been working so hard as a team, and they finally did it.”