Thanks to Dolphins coach Nick Cavataro for contributing this story:
Paced by six gold medals each from Kate Hazlett and Meghan Lynch; three golds from William Belmont and a first ever win by Ryan Bedell, as well as a winning state record relay effort, the Greenwich YWCA Dolphins Swim Team placed eighth overall in the recently completed Connecticut State Age Group Championships.
The 40-team, 1,100 swimmer meet was held over three and one half days at Wesleyan University and featured competition among Connecticut’s top swimmers in over 120 events. The Cheshire YMCA accumulated 3,652-points, followed by Wilton YMCA, 3015; and, Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club, 2945 for the top three.
Hazlett, 14, claimed gold in the 13-14-year old age group’s 50-yard Free at 23.39; 100-Free at 51.30; 100-Backstroke at 57.24; 100-Butterfly at 55.60 and 200-yard Backstroke at 2:04.92. Hazlett’s 50-Free time tied the 1987 Connecticut state mark in the 50-Free set by the USA’s most decorated Olympic swimmer, Jenny Thompson set in 1987 and was the seventh fastest time in the USA this year. The 100-Butterfly time eclipsed Olympian and former Wilton YMCA swimmer, Janel Jorgensen’s state mark of 57.77 posted in 1986.
Lynch, 11, swimming in the 11-12 age group, took home gold in the 100-Individual Medley at 1:01.29; 200-Individual Medley at 2:12.08; 100-Breaststroke at 1:06.46; 200-Breaststroke at 2:24.70; and, in the 200 and 500-Freestyles with respective times of 1:56.22 and 5:09.98. Lynch, who owns the National Age group records in the 10-and-under class in both the 50 and 100-yard Breaststrokes, staked claim to National level performances as an 11-year old. The 100 and 200-yard Breaststroke times were the fastest in the nation this year and the other four swims ranked second in the USA.
“Kate and Meghan are very special swimmers, with great natural ability and work ethic. They thrive on the challenge of getting faster each race and have a unique ability to do it in variety of events and distances,” commented Dolphins Coach Nick Cavataro.
Belmont, 17, posted wins in the 200-Indiviudal medley at 1:54.46 and in the 100-Butterfly and 100-Free with respective times of 50.71 and 46.99. Belmont was also second in the 50-Free at 21.57.
Bedell, 15, won his first State title ever, in his final race, the 1000-Freestyle at 10:04.41, giving him the 15-16 group’s “distance high point award”, which combined point totals in the 400-Individual Medley where his 4:27.84 time was fifth; the 500-Freestyle with a 4:57.98 placed him fourth; and, a 1,650-Freestyle time of 17:02.48 earned him bronze.
The Dolphins quartet of Hazlett, Taylor Schinto, 14; Alison Opuszynski, 13; and Samantha Scott, 13, set a Connecticut State record in the 13-14 Girls 200-Freestyle relay with a 1:38.37, eclipsing the old mark of 1:39.19 held by the Cheshire YMCA from 1996.
The quartet of Bedell, Thomas Mackey, 16; and 17-year olds Graham Hazlett and Belmont also posted a gold medal winning time of 3:22.02 in the 15-18 boys 400-Freestyle Relay.
Other Dolphins girls in the top 10 championship heat included Brooke Collins, 17, who was second in the 200-Breaststroke at 2:24.99 and third in the 200-IM at 2:10.57. Claire Michalik, 12, was second in the 100-IM at 1:03.34; third in the 50-Butterfly at 27.72; and fifth in the 50-Back, 100- Back and 100-Breaststroke at 29.81, 1:03.19 and 1:12.16 respectively, Michalik was also sixth in the 100-Butterfly at 1:03.24.
Allison Opuszynski, 13, was seventh in the 50-free at 25.40. Emma Robinson, 10, was seventh in the 50-Backstroke at 34.83. Suzy Ryckman, 14, was sixth in the 50-Free at 25.10; eighth in both the 200-IM and 100-Free at 2:15.04 and 54.71, respectively as well as tenth in the 100-Back at 1:01.01.
Emmy Sammons, 14, was seventh in the 100-Back at 1:00.62 and ninth in the 200-Back at 2:13.07. Taylor Schinto, 14, claimed sixth in the 50-Free at 25.36. Samantha Scott, 13, picked up a pair of silver medals in the 50 and 100-Free with respective times of 24.93 and 54.32 and was also third and fourth respectively in the 100-Back at 59.66 and 200-Back at 2:10.78. Bettina Tapiero, 12, was eighth in the 50-Free at 26.43.
Dolphins Boys in the Championship heats included Alexander Hazlett, 11, who was ninth in the 100-IM at 1:06.55. Graham Hazlett, 17, grabbed a silver medal in the 100-Butterfly at 51.17. Ryan Lynch, 14, was tenth in the 100-Breaststroke.
Patrick Mullen, 10, was third in both the 50-Breast and 100-IM with respective times of 36.70 and 1:10.87; sixth and eighth in the 50-Butterfly at 31.06 and 500-Freestyle at 6:02.91, respectively.
Consolation finalists swims on the girls’ side included Olivia Baine, 11, who was fifteenth in the 200-Breaststroke; Riley Ennis, 16, was fifteenth in the 100-Breaststroke; Samantha Ennis, 11, was thirteenth in the 50-Back; and, Christine Flood, 12, was thirteenth in the 50-Butterfly and fourteenth in both the 100-Butterfly and Freestyle events.
Allison Opuszynski, 13, was nineteenth in the 100-Freestyle. Emma Robinson, 10, was seventeenth in the 50-Butterfly, nineteenth in the 100-Backstroke. Suzy Ryckman, 14, was thirteenth in 100-Breast. Avery Sammons, 11, was eighteenth in the 200-Breast.
Taylor Schinto, 14, was twelfth in the 100-Back; fourteenth in the 100-Butterfly and twentieth in the 100-Free. Zoe Sorensen, 10, was fifteenth and nineteenth respectively in the 50 and 100-Butterfly events. Marcella Winget, 12, was fourteenth in the 100-IM; fifteenth in the 200-Back; sixteenth in the 200-IM and seventeenth in both the 50 and 100-Backstrokes.
On the boys side, Tomas Delgado, 10, was eleventh in both the 50 and 100-Free and twelfth in the 100-IM. Aiden Bucaria, 9, placed fifteenth in the 100-IM. Alexander Hazlett, 11, was fourteenth in the 100-Freestyle; sixteenth in the 100-Butterfly; seventeenth in the 50-Free and twentieth in the 50-Fly.
Max Meissner, 11, was eighteenth in both the 50 and 200-Backstroke. Mark Merson, 12, was twelfth in the 50-Butterfly and 100-IM as well as thirteenth and seventeenth respectively in the 50-Free and 100-Breaststroke. Jaden Nygaard, 11, was twentieth in the 50-Breast
The Dolphins also had Top 3 relays efforts in the 11-12 girls age group where Ennis, Lynch, Michalik and Tapiero combined for second in the 200-Medley; the team of Lynch, Tapiero, Winget and Michalik were second in the 200-Free Relay; the 400-Medley saw Winget, Lynch, Michalik and Flood take third. Michalik, Flood, Tapiero and Lynch took third in the 400-Free Relay.
Other Dolphins participating included Sarah Bellamy, Louisa Bjerke, Daphne Edwards, Kate Ennis, Emma Himes, Jesse Horowitz, Olivia Knapp, Julia Merrill, Ben Schinto and Parker Scott.