The first rounds of the 16th Annual Greenwich Town Swimming Championship were held on December 15 and 16, with more than 160 swimmers ages 8-17 participating. Saturday’s event was postponed due to inclement weather and rescheduled for Monday, December 19, and Wednesday, December 21.
The annual event is a highlight of the swim season with over 300 swimmers competing, including members of the famed Greenwich YWCA Dolphins, the YMCA Marlins, the Boys and Girls Club Barracudas, and the Sharks Swim team from Stamford. Also this year, members of the Convent of the Sacred Heart Swim Team competed.
The Greenwich YWCA Dolphins, led by Head Coach Nick Cavataro, ranks among the top swim clubs in the U.S. and was recently named as a USA Swimming Bronze Medal Club for 2017, for its fourth consecutive year. “The Dolphins have worked hard to maintain this level of competitiveness,” said Nick Cavataro. “And the team was thrilled to receive this recognition before the town meet.”
The town meet gives our local teams the chance to compete against each other as they prepare for meets across the state and country. Winners from Thursday and Friday include Kortney Knudsen, 15, Meghan Lynch, 13, Ryan Bedell, 17, and Jaden Nygaard, 13, in the distance races.
In the 400-IM 13/over, Knudsen took gold in the girls race at 5:00.84 and Nygard won the boys race at 5:08.6.
In the 500–yard Freestyle, 13/over Bedell and Lynch each lowered the meet record with respective times of 4:55.76 and 5:05.04.
Action in the distance stroke events in the mixed 8-10-year old class saw the Dolphins’ Rory Keller, 10, take the 100-yard Backstroke at 1:13.68; Sydney Jee, 10, won the 100-Breastsroke at 1:22.19; Penny Lazar, 10, claimed the 100-Butterfly at 1:11.74
The mixed 10-and-over 200-yard stroke races had Christine Flood, 14, win the 200- Backstroke at 2:13.55; Meghan Lynch set a meet record in the 200-Breastsroke at 2:20.01 and Kate Hazlett, 16, held off Andres Rush, 14, in the 200-Butterfly with both swimmers going under the meet mark with respective times of 2:08.47 and 2;11.09.
The sessions this week will be held from 6:15 – 8:00 pm. Monday’s meet will be for ages 8 and under and 13 and over, and Wednesday’s meet will be for ages 9 – 12.
YWCA Greenwich, has been making a difference in the lives of families, spanning babies to seniors, since 1919. We provide preschool and afterschool programs, youth athletics, adult health and fitness programs and adult seminars. YWCA Greenwich is also the only agency in Greenwich licensed and accredited to treat victims of domestic violence.
YWCA Greenwich is located at East 259 East Putnam Ave.