YWCA Greenwich 23.August.2019:  California, Indiana, New York, Virginia and Connecticut were the states the Greenwich YWCA Dolphins Swim Team visited on their Summer 2019 championship meets. At the end of the three weeks the Dolphins had a pair of USA Olympic Trial Qualifiers, 3 Senior National Qualifiers, 4 Winter USA Junior National Qualifiers, 3 US Open Qualifiers, 8 Junior National Club Swim Association Championship Qualifiers, 6 Connecticut Senior Champions, 7 State Age Group Champions, 9 USA Swimming Eastern Zone Qualifiers and 4 Eastern Zone medalists.

 

Leading the charge for the Dolphins at the July 31-August 4th Philips 66 USA National Championship Meet at Stanford University in Palo Alto were Kate Hazlett and Meghan Lynch.  Lynch, 15, one of the youngest swimmers at the meet took 26th in the 200-Meter Breaststroke final at 2:33.55. Lynch was also competed in the 200-Indiviudal Medley, 400-IM, and 400-Free. Hazlett, 18, who is headed for Harvard in September was 59th in the 50-Free at 26.28 and also raced in the 100-Back and 100-Butterfly. 

The National Club Swimming Association (NCSA) Junior National Championships at the Indiana University-Purdue University Natatorium in Indianapolis saw eight Dolphins competing including Lynch and Hazlett, who were joined by Abby Bleil, 13; Samantha Ennis, 15; Alexander Hazlett, 15; Max Meissner, 16; and Parker and Samantha Scott, 18.

 

Lynch led the scoring with a silver medal in the 200-Breast at 2:34.25 and added a fifth place in the 200-IM at 2:19.33 as well as appearing in the consolation heats of the 100-Free, 200-Free and 400-IM. Lynch posted a lifetime clocking in the 50-Free of 26.90 in a swim-off for the consolation heats and ended up in twenty-eighth.

 

Kate Hazlett, took Bronze in the 50-Free at 25.95, which was the thirteenth best time in the USA by an 18-year olds and qualified her for the USA Swimming 2020 Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska in June along with Lynch who qualified in November in the 200-IM at the indoor USA Senior National Meet in Greensboro and holds the eighth fastest time in the nation for a 15-year old this year at 2:17.03. “Qualifying for the Olympic Trials is a great achievement for Kate and Meghan, and I know they want more, that is what makes them so special”, Cavataro said. 

 

One of the biggest races in Indiana came from Alexander Hazlett, 15, in the 200-IM. Hazlett who came into the season with a best of 2:12.21. Hazlett dropped nearly five seconds to 2:07.56 to qualify for the 2019 US Open Championships in December at Georgia Tech. The time placed Hazlett in 19th place overall and ranks him ninth in the nation for 15-year olds. “Alex has all four strokes and as he gets more comfortable at the 200M distance, this will be a great event for him in the seasons tocome,” commented Cavataro.

 

Also in Indianapolis Kate Hazlett was ninth in the 100-Back at 1:03.63. Other Dolphins best placings included Abby Bleil, 13, in her first Junior meet was 75th in the 100-Breaststsroke at 1:17.22; Samantha Ennis, 15, 77th in the 100-Back at 1:07.17; Max Meissner, 16, 41st in the 400-IM at 4:43.43; Parker Scott, 18, 4th in the 100-Butterfly at 58.03 and Samantha Scott, 18, gaining a USA Junior National Qualifying time at 26.72 in the 50-Free.

 

The Age Group portion of the team had their own success, as seven Dolphins traveled to Richmond, Virginia as part of the Connecticut Swimming All Star Team for the Eastern Zone Long Course Championships held at the Collegiate School Aquatic Center.

 

Penny Lazar, 12, who earlier in the summer season set a state age group record in the 200-M Butterfly at 2:25.03 – breaking Olympian Elizabeth Beisel state mark by two seconds, took gold in the event with a time of 2:28.40. Lazar, went on to take Silver in the 400-free at 4:33.62; Bronze in the 100 and 200-free at 1:00.78 and 2:10.86, respectively and fourth in the 100-Butterfly at 1:06.81. 

 

Aiden Bucaria, 14, placed fourth in the 200-Breatstsroke at 2:34.87; fifth in the 100-Breastsrtroke at 1:11.39 and eighth in the 200-IM at 2:19.43. Olivia Cieciwa,12, was sixth in the 50-back at 32.75 and Rory Keller, 13, was fifth in the 200-M Backstroke at 2:26.94. Other Dolphins best finishes included Ava Baine, 12, who was thirteenth in the 200-Butterfly at 2:37.05; Kate Boutry, 9, who was twelfth with the sixth fastest time in the nation for a 9-year old in the 100-Back at 1:21.10; and Campbell Steere, 14, who was twenty-second in the 200-M Breaststroke at 3:00.27.

 

In State, The Dolphins were sixth overall and third in the women’s team scoring at the July Connecticut Senior Championship Meet at Wesleyan University in Middletown. Lynch led the way with her third consecutive Championship women’s High Point Award. Lynch grabbed gold in the 200-Free (2:04.38); 200-Breast (2:33.77); 200-IM (2:19.07 and 400-IM (4:53.17) as well as third in the 100-Free (58.73) and 100-Breast (1:12.99) and seventh in the 50-Free (27.23).

Kate Hazlett claimed gold in the 50-Free (26.03), 100-Free (57.23) and 100-Back (1:03.16) and silver in the 100-Butterfly (1:01.81). Penny Lazar, 12, was only one of two 12-year olds to score at the meet, and had put up the third fastest time this year by a twelve-year old in the 1500-M Freestyle at 17:48.93, for sixth place in the meet.  Lazar was also tenth in the 200-Butterfly (2:25.03) and thirteenth in the 100-Butterfly at 1:05.05.  

 

Abby Bleil was tenth and twelfth respectively in the 200 and 100-Breaststrokes at 2:47.78 and 1:16.11. The 200-Breaststroke is the 45th fastest time by a 13-year old this year in the USA and the top time in Connecticut. Samantha Scott was eleventh in the 200-Back (2:25.23); and, fourteenth in the 50-Free (27.76) and 100-Free (59.83).

 

At the Senior meet on the Boys side, Alexander Hazlett, Max Meissner and Parker Scott all reached the finals.

 

Hazlett, was fourth in the 200-IM (2:09.91); eighth in the 50-Free (24.48); thirteenth in the 200-free (1:157.71) and fourteenth in both the 100-Back (1:00.67) and 100-Butterfly (58.43). Meissner, 16, was tenth in the 200-Breast (2:31.04); eleventh in the 400-IM (4:41.41) which qualified him for the USA Futures Championship Meet; twelfth in the 200-Butterfly (2:14.16) and thirteenth in the 200-Back (2:12.31). Scott, 18, was thirteenth in the 100-Butterfly (58.10). 

 

Other best placings at the Senior Championship meet included Samantha Ennis, 15, thirty-sixth in the 200-Back (2:31.56); Jack Jee, 17, twenty-second in the 200-Butterfly (2:17.24); Ryan Jee, 15, thirty-sixth in the 50-free (25.61); Rory Keller, 13, twentieth in the 200-Back (2:28.81); Matthew Lourenco, 17, was seventy fourth in the 100-Breast (1:14.85) Brendan O’Brien 16, twenty-seventh in the 200-Butterfly (2:18.12); Emma Robinson, 15, forty-second in both the 200-Butterfly (2:38.20) and 400-Free (4:46.38); Avery Sammons, 16, eighteenth in the 50-Free (28.08); Willa Sarcone, 16, eighteenth in the 200-back (2:27.71); and, Campbell Steere thirty-eighth in the 200-Breast (2:58.16).

 

The State Age Group Meet at Cheshire Community Center Pool, saw the Dolphins take eighth overall with Lazar, Bucaria and Bleil combining for six individual gold, four silver and two bronze medals among the trio. 

 

Lazar, racing in the 11-12 class took gold in the 400-Free (4:36.44), 200-Butterfly (2:24.90) and the 200-Free (2:10.50) and added silver in the 200-IM (2:29.86), 100-Butterfly (1:05.78), 100-Free (1:01.78). Bleil, competing in the 13-14 group along with Bucaria – won the 100 and 200-Breaststroke events at 1:15.95 and 2:47.06. respectively. Bucaria took gold in the 100-Breast at 1:09.74, silver in the 200-Free at 2:04.91 and bronze in both 100-Free at 56.69 and 200-Breaststroke at 2:33.79.

 

Other Dolphins in the Championship heats included Ava Baine, 12, racing in the 11-12 group, was fourth in the 200-Butterfly (2:38.93), ninth in the 100-Butterfly (1:11.19) and tenth in the 200-Free (2:23.65). Kate Boutry, 9, competing in the 10-and-under group was third, fourth, fifth and fifth respectively in the 100-Back (1:22.51); 50-Back (38.75) and 100-Butterfly (1:26.88) and 100-Freestyle (1:14.23); Colin Bucaria, 10, was fifth and sixth respectively in the 50 and 100-Breaststroke at 45.65 and 1:39.74. Olivia Cieciwa, 12, racing in the 11-12 class, claimed three Bronze medals in the 50, 100 and 200-Bacsktrokes respectively at 32.92, 1:11.74 and 2:36.48. 

 

Gray Hinkle, 10, was sixth in the 200-IM at 3:09.03; Rory Keller, 13, was eighth in both the 200-Back and 800-Free at 2:29.19 and 9:48.59. Audrey Lin, 13, was fifth in the 100-Breast at 1:21.71; Jonathan Packard, 10, took silver in the 10-and-under group in the 100-Butterfly (1:19.08) and 100-Backstroke (1:18.75) and also took Bronze in the 50-Back (37.23) and fifth in the 50-Butterhly (35.83) and seventh in the 100-Free (1:13.65). Campbell Steere, 14, took silver in the 200-Breast at 2:53.34 and Bronze in the 100-Breaststroke at 1:19.88.

 

The Dolphins 10-and-udner Boys quartet of Bucaria, Packard, Hinkle and Connor McMahon took gold in the 200-Medley Relay at 2:39.20.

 

Other Dolphins at the State Championship best finishes included, Hunter Daur, 14, who was thirty-first in the 200-back (2:33.97); Melissa Geiger, 10, was twelfth in the 100-Butterfly (1:30.97); Sarah Huber, 12, was thirteenth in the 200-Backstroke at 2:44.44; Audrey Li, 9, was tenth in the 100-Butterfly (1:30.31); Connor Mcmahon, 10, was thirty-sixth in the 50-Back; Luke Merrill, 12, was thirty-fifth in the 200-Back at 2:57.72; Sophie Mokhiber, 11, was eleventh in the 200-Free at 2:25.26; Vivian Mokhiber, 9, was fifteenth in the 50-Free at 34.55; Siena Pierson, 9, was twenty-third in both the 100-Butterfly and Freestyle at 1:38.48 and 1:19.51. Emma Robredo, 14, was twenty-second in the 200-Free at 2:20.13. William Schuhmacher, 12, was twenty-seventh, in the 200-Breaststroke at 3:22.09; and, Alessandra Serbaroli, 14, was thirty-second in the 100-Butterfly at 1:13.57. 

The Greenwich YWCA Dolphins will open up their 2019-20 season with roster placement evaluations on September 3, 4, 5 and 7th at the YWCA and regular practices start on September 9. For more information see www.greenwichdolphins.com