Hall’s girls swimming and diving team will face cross-town West Hartford rival Conard on Wednesday, Oct. 26.
Maggie Mantz. Submitted photo
Submitted
The Hall girls swim team is so close to perfection for the season they can taste it, but Conard’s girls team is hoping to spoil the party when the two meet on Wednesday in the season finale.
Both teams got a preview of what might lie ahead at the West Hartford Invitational Thursday at Cornerstone Aquatic Center. The meet pitted Hall, Conard, South Windsor and East Catholic in a four-way battle that saw the Warriors come out on top, followed by the Chieftains in second place. It also saw two of the area’s top senior swimmers go head-to-head as well as a glimpse into the future as both squads showcased their very talented freshman.
In the day’s opening event, the 200 yard medley relay – Hall’s “A” team of Aeva Silverman (freshman), Emmie LaSpada (sophomore), Aislinn Mitchell (freshman) and Jeanne Wang (junior), took the top spot followed by South Windsor, then Conard’s “A” entry of sophomore Lauren Manning, junior Rebecca Hendsey, freshman Katie Bell, and junior Jessica Frigon. On the day Hall would take the top spot in two of the days three relays, with Conard capturing the 200 freestyle relay.
Aislinn Mitchell. Submitted photo
The battle of the freshmen provided plenty of excitement on the day. In the 200 individual medley, Hall’s Aislinn Mitchell took the top spot, followed by Conard’s Natalie Chernysh. In the 50 freestyle, the Warrior’s Maggie Mantz was best in the field, followed by teammate Wang, Conard’s Bell was fourth. The 100 yard butterfly saw Mantz and Mitchell go 1-2, with Chernysh taking third. Bell dominated the 500 freestyle field with a winning time of 5:14:88 and before she had time to catch her breath, was back in the water in the next event as the anchor of the first place 200 yard freestyle relay along with Chernysh, Manning, and senior Emma Dowd.
On the day Dowd and Hall senior co-captain Tara Tiernan had their own matchups. Tiernan bested Dowd in the 100 and 200 freestyle’s and as part of the 400 freestyle relay. Dowd swam the lead leg on the winning 200 free relay team for Conard.
As has been the case for Hall all season long, their depth was just too much for their opponents to overcome. In addition to her second place finish in the 50 freestyle, Wang also was fifth in the 100 free –earning State cuts in both events and a member of the winning 200 medley relay and runner-up 200 free relay. Sophomore Lindsey Schmucker also earned State times with her third place time in the 500 freestyle and her fourth place finish in the 200 individual medley.
Coach John McClure’s Warriors saw several other swimmers bring in points in multiple events. Freshmen Silverman, Mantz, Mitchell, and Charlotte Otis, sophomores LaSpada and Alissa Palmer, junior Kelly Tiernan, and senior captains Sarah Berman, Grace Coll, and Caroline Turner.
“The times for the meet were very good and the girls raced very well,” said McClure. “We absolutely got raced all day.”
Looking ahead to the season’s final meet against Conard, McClure knows it will be a fight for his team to win and finish the season undefeated. “The way the match-ups go will be the key to the Conard meet.”
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