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GNH Warriors Finish 5th in Class LL, 6th at State Open

The Greater New Haven (GNH) Warriors boys' swimming and diving team finished its season by turning in outstanding performances at a couple of postseason meets. GNH took fifth place at the Class LL State Championship and then finished in sixth place at the State Open Championship last week.

Led by a win from East Haven junior Brendan Conners in the 100 backstroke and a victory in the 200 freestyle relay, the Warriors scored 379 points on their way to placing fifth as a team at the Class LL State Championship at Cornerstone Aquatic Center on March 16.

Three days later, Conners won the 100 backstroke again when GNH finished sixth in the State Open at that same site.

Conners swam a time of 50.02 seconds in his victory in the 100 backstroke at the Class LL State Championship. Conners finished nearly two seconds ahead of Kalen Anbar of Norwalk-McMahon (51.81) to claim the top spot in the event. Conners also took fourth place in the 200 individual medley by recording a time of 1:54.92 at states.

Conners entered the championship as the top seed in the 100 backstroke after having won the event with a time of 50.56 at the Class LL Trials at Cornerstone Aquatic Center on March 13. Earlier in the postseason, Conners finished first in the 100 backstroke at the SCC Championship (50.52) and also took first place in the 200 IM (1:55.57) for the second-straight campaign in the conference meet.

GNH's 200 freestyle relay claimed first place at the Class LL State Championship. The Warriors' quartet of Conners, Guilford junior Aiden Cohen, East Haven senior Hethon Foster, and Guilford senior Finn Henry posted a mark of 1:26.88 to defeat the second-place unit from Westhill-Stamford (1:27.28) in the relay.

The Warriors had the top seed in the 200 freestyle relay following their victory at the Class LL Trials (1:27.98). The relay team also took second place at the SCC Championship (1:28.62) prior to the state meet.

GNH's 400 freestyle relay of Foster, Cohen, Henry, and Conners finished in third place at the Class LL State Championship (3:11.87). Henry finished fifth in the 500 freestyle (4:50.68) and came in sixth place for the 200 freestyle (1:45.90). Foster took sixth place in the 50 freestyle (22.25) and finished 10th in the 100 butterfly (52.93).

A few days before the Warriors swam at states, they had two athletes represent the team at the Class LL Diving State Championship at Middletown High School on March 14.

North Haven junior Christian Butler finished eighth in the diving competition by recording a score of 403.95 points. North Branford junior Alley Farrell finished in 17th place with a score of 276.85.

Cohen finished ninth in the 50 freestyle (22.42) and was 13th in the 200 freestyle (49.63) when the Class LL meet resumed a few days later. The Warriors' 200 medley relay of freshman Aeden Conners, Guilford freshman Hugh Henry, Guilfod sophomore Alex Hansen, and Guilford sophomore William Cong came in 11th place (1:46.18) at the Class LL State Championship.

Aeden Conners finished in 18th place for both the 500 freestyle (5:08.11) and the 100 backstroke (57.73). Hugh Henry finished 18th in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.01) and took 20th place in the 200 IM (2:07.58). Cong finished 23rd in the 50 freestyle (23.80) for GNH. Guilford sophomore Sam Mayo finished 24th in both the 200 freestyle (1:57.00) and the 500 freestyle (5:24.19).

On March 19, the Warriors returned to Cornerstone Aquatic Center to compete in the State Open Championship, scoring 237 points to take sixth place as a squad. Brendan Conners followed up his win in the 100 backstroke at the Class LL meet by claiming victory in the event at the Open with a time of 49.90. Conners was able to touch out Mitchell Wollen of Xavier (50.52) to claim first place in the backstroke. Conners also finished eighth in the 200 IM with a time of 1:54.93.

GNH's 200 freestyle relay of Brendan Conners, Cohen, Foster, and Henry finished fourth (1:27.04) at the State Open. The Warriors' 400 freestyle relay featuring Foster, Cohen, Henry, and Conners came in seventh place (3:13.59).

Foster swam to a fourth-place finish in the 50 freestyle (21.50) and also placed 18th in the butterfly (53.50) for GNH. Henry claimed sixth place in the 200 freestyle (1:44.55) and was seventh in the 500 freestyle (4:44.64). Cohen finished in 22nd place for the 50 freestyle (22.55).

Two days earlier, Butler represented the Warriors when he competed in the State Open Diving Championship at Middletown High School on March 17. Butler finished in 15th place for the diving by recording a score of 387.25 points.