With the CCC West title on the line, the Hall girls swimming and diving team defeated crosstown West Hartford rival Conard Monday night at Cornerstone Pool.

By Ronni Newton. Photos by Hunter Marotto

With a capacity crowd of parents, fellow students, and other fans cheering in the stands at Cornerstone Aquatics Center in West Hartford, the Hall girls improved their CCC West record to 5-0 Monday night, defeating crosstown rival Conard 96-82.

“From my standpoint, getting first and second in the first event [200 Yard Medley Relay]; and then first, third and fourth in the second [200 Yard Freestyle]; and first, second and third in the third event [200 Yard Individual Medley] for a 36-10 lead sealed the meet win early,” Hall head coach John McClure said in an email.

In those first three events, Jacqui Fox, Meghan Tiernan, Aislinn Mitchell, and Hannah Ganey combined for a tie of 1:56.32 to win the 200 Medley Relay; Emma Nordquist won the 200 Freestyle in 1:58.76; and Mitchell was first in the 200 Individual Medley. in 2:14.08.

Mitchell also won the 100 Butterfly, and Nordquist also won the 500 Free.

Hall junior Zoe Baker set a new school diving record with a score of 247 – breaking her own record set earlier in the season.

Conard senior captain Natalie Chernysh was also a two-event winner in the meet, with a her best times of the season in first-place finishes in the 50 Freestyle (25.70) and 100 Freestyle (55.15).

According to McClure, Hall now has an overall record of 8-1, with the only loss coming to Glastonbury (97 to 86) in the first meet of the season. This is the third straight year the Hall girls have won the CCC West title, and the seventh time in the past decade, he said.

“In a tough loss to Hall on Monday, Conard had some outstanding efforts,” head coach John Smachetti said in an email. Conard finished the season 4-1 in the CCC West, and like Hall has an overall record of 8-1.

Smachetti highlighted performances by several Chieftain swimmers, including senior captain, Kate Bell who had two season-best times in second-place finishes in the 200 Freestyle and 500 Freestyle.

Sophia Lynch (50 Freestyle) and Isabel Lemus (500 Freestyle) both qualified for the state tournament, and in diving Kayla Pappazzaro had her season-best score of 182.65. Also inching toward state cuts were Grace Phalon, Molly Aubrey, Eloise MacKinnon, Cecilia Williams, and Aspen Rosner. 

Four additional Hall swimmers had times Monday that qualified them for the state meet, and overall Hall now has two divers and 13 swimmers qualified for the Class LL meet in November, McClure said. They include divers Zoe Baker and Sidney Golas, both juniors, and swimmers Maggie Mantz, Aislinn Mitchell, Aeva Silverman (all seniors); Emma Nordquist, Grace Crespi (juniors); Hannah Ganey, Aly Booth, and Kali Dominguez (sophomores); and freshmen Julia Seguro, Katherine Manaresi, Meghan Tiernan, Molly Nordquist, and Jacqui Fox.

The Class LL diving championships will be held Nov. 13 in Middletown, and the qualifying meet for swimmers to continue on to the finals is Nov. 16 with the finals on Nov. 19.

Conard, which is in Class L, will have athletes diving on Nov. 14, and swimming on Nov. 16 (qualifying) and 20.

Athletes qualifying for the State Open will compete on Nov. 21 (diving) and Nov. 24 (swimming).

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