More than 100 best times were set by the West Hartford swimmers in meets on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7, 2014.
Waves swimmers Julia Seguro (left) and Cate Mancini won their events in league-championship qualifying times. Submitted photo
By Holly Neumann
West Hartford Waves swimmers set more than 100 best times last weekend in meets against Enfield on Dec. 6 and the Cornerstone Aquatics Center developmental team on Dec. 7.
The Waves were led by a pair of double winners in their outing at Enrico Fermi High School on Saturday. Cate Mancini, 10, and Facundo Garcia, 12, won their events and produced league-championship qualifying times.
Cate, a fifth-grader who attends Morley Elementary in West Hartford, earned her “A” championship cuts with wins in the 50-yard freestyle (38.03) and 50-yard backstroke (43.05).
Facundo, a seventh-grader at King Philip, qualified with wins in the 50 freestyle (30.24) and 100 freestyle (1:09.39).
Cate was challenged in the backstroke by teammate Julia Seguro (4th grade, Bugbee), who touched less than a second behind her in 43.68 seconds. Julia’s time also qualified for A Champs in February.
The two girls teamed with Alyson Booth (5th, Whiting Lane) and Madeline Duskocy (5th, Webster Hill) on the winning 200-yard medley relay. Cate got the team off to a strong start with the opening backstroke leg of the race, followed by Alyson on breaststroke, Julia swimming butterfly and Madeline anchoring with freestyle. The win led a 1-2 finish for the Waves in that event.
The Waves 9-10 girls later closed their meet with a 1-2-3 finish in the 200 freestyle relay.
“Our 9-10 girls were very strong this weekend,” said Waves team president Missi Burke. “We had some exciting swims, especially on the relays.”
In the end, however, the Waves fell to the Dolphins, 340-330.
“The final score was very close,” Burke said, “and they had many more older swimmers on their roster than we do.
“We were very pleased to see so many of our swimmers setting personal bests, and we are receiving compliments on our swimmers’ technique. We have a renewed focus on instruction in our program, and I think it shows.”
On Sunday, the Waves swam against the Cornerstone developmental team in West Hartford.
Mason Murphy, 11, a sixth-grader at Sedgewick Middle School, also won two events at Enfield: the 11-12 girls 100 IM and the 50 breaststroke.
Other Waves swimmers earning more than one “A” qualifying time at the Enfield meet: Blake Neumann, 8, a third-grader at Smith STEM School, in the 25 freestyle (18.66) and the 50 free (41.85); and Kathryn Torla, 8, a third-grader at Duffy Elementary, in the 25 free (17.97) and 25 fly (25.13).
