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01/23/2019 11:00 PMAndrew Orce began his athletic career with swimming and then changed course into lacrosse. A few years ago, Andrew decided to get back in the water as a member of the Branford-Guilford co-op squad. Now in his final season with the team, he feels happy that he made that decision.
Andrew is a senior at Guilford High School who’s leading the Branford-Guilford boys’ swimming and diving team as one of its captains this winter. Andrew wants to make his last year with the Hornets a memorable one by helping them continue progressing as a program.
“I owe a lot of my success to my coach and my team,” says Andrew. “[Head Coach Jen Amasino] works hard and pushes us to find new limits within ourselves. The guys on the team are also supportive, too.”
Andrew competes in freestyles, relays, and the 100 breaststroke for Branford-Guilford. He likes contributing to the team by swimming a variety of events, including one particular relay that features plenty of variety.
“I like the 200 medley relay, because relays are always fun, and this one involves all the strokes,” Andrew says. “I also like the 100 breaststroke and 100 freestyle. With the 100 free, there is more time to it versus the 50 free, so you have more distance to recover if you make a mistake.”
Andrew says that he’s seen his commitment to physical fitness pay dividends in the pool. Andrew also notes that he’s embracing the concept of team spirit in his role as a senior captain.
“I’ve noticed my conditioning has really helped, and I’m more in shape now than in the past,” says Andrew. “As far as the team aspect, it has helped me be a better teammate and a better leader by being a captain.”
Andrew enjoys the pressure of the moment during races and gains steam from having the responsibility on his shoulders. As a member of a co-op squad, Andrew appreciates having the chance to make friends with people who he might not have known otherwise.
“When you jump in, it’s just you versus the clock, and I like that I have full control and all the responsibility,” Andrew says. “I like getting to know more people, because I wouldn’t get to know these kids from Branford without being on this team.”
Coach Amasino says that Andrew provides a source of inspiration for his teammates with his upbeat attitude and unrelenting effort.
“Andrew is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He tries to get to know everyone and become friends with them. He makes his fellow teammates believe in themselves and always has something positive to say to motivate his team through a tough set or to step it up in a meet,” says Amasino. “I can always count on him to communicate announcements to the team and know that anything I ask him to get done, he will take care of. He works hard and gives 100 percent.”
Looking ahead to the remainder of the campaign, Andrew has his sights set on improving his postseason positioning from a year ago, and wants his fellow Hornets do the same.
“My goal is to place higher in the states meet for the postseason,” says Andrew. “For the team, we know we can improve more, and we want to go far.”