By David Fierro
All season long, Greenwich High School’s girls swimming team vigorously trained and competed with the hopes of being at its absolute best in one specific meet. The CIAC State Open Championships of course.
“We continued to get faster each meet and we purposely designed it that way so that on November 19th we’d be able to be the top team standing,” Greenwich coach Brendan Heller said, following Sunday’s State Open Championships at Yale University’s Kiphuth Memorial Exhibition Pool. “We knew this was going to be the date for us. Everything else was kind of the build up.”
Heller’s words came after the Cardinals completed another team victory on a grand stage at the CIAC State Open Championships. Amassing 633 points, Greenwich captured the team title at the State Open Championships, giving it the triple crown this season.
The Cardinals also won the team title at the CIAC Class LL Championships this past week and the championship at the FCIAC finals, recently, making them three times a champion. The triumph added to Greenwich’s illustrious history. Greenwich’s swimming/diving team has now won the team title 23 times at the CIAC State Open Championships
Greenwich placed sixth in the team standings at the 2022 State Open Championships, but with a full roster of athletes back this fall, the Cardinals proved they were back on top.
“It was my first time coaching here last year,” Heller said. “Things didn’t go in our favor, but the atmosphere was incredible, so at the end of the State Open last year we said we’re going to be back, so to be back feels good.”
Senior Payton Foster capped her brilliant swimming career for the Cardinals by winning two individual events. Foster finished first in the 200-yard individual medley and earned the State Open gold medal in the 500-yard freestyle. In the 200-yard individual medley, Foster posted a winning time of 2:00.81, giving GHS 30 important points in the team standings. Cheshire senior Julia Barto finished second (2:01.58), while Cardinals senior captain Sydney Jee placed third in 2:08.40.
“The 2 IM was a really tough one, but I love swimming the 2 IM and Julia is an amazing competitor and so is everyone else in the pool,” said Foster, who will continue her swimming career at Harvard University next year. “I’m just glad we got to do that.”
In her final individual race for the Cardinals, Foster touched the wall first in the 500-yard freestyle. She won the gold medal in the event with a time of 4:51.89, with Barto of Cheshire placing second in 4:55.52. Ridgefield sophomore Ava Ward was third in the 500 freestyle (5:02.61) and Greenwich freshman Ellison Charette gave the Cardinals a fourth-place finish, clocking in at 5:03.41.
“The 500 had such good competition, it’s always fun swimming that race,” Foster noted. “It was really tough, but I’m glad we got through it.”
Indeed, Foster enjoyed the atmosphere at Yale’s historic Kiphuth Memorial Pool – the site of many State Open championship meets.
“I’ve never been at Opens at Yale, which was so fun with the team,” Foster said. “I’m glad I had one last senior season and I’m happy with the way it ended for our team. I’m really proud of everyone. It was definitely different being here, it was very grand. It was nice to see everyone up in the stands – it was awesome.”
The State Open began in championship fashion for the Cardinals. Freshman Julia Kozma, Jee, junior Sena Bozkurt and junior Sofie Wang combined to win the 200-yard medley relay in 1:45.12. The same quartet won the Class LL title in the event (1:45.73).
“It felt really good, it’s really full circle winning everything my senior year,” Jee said of winning the State Open team title. “I’m sad it’s our last meet, but I’m satisfied with how it turned out.”
Jee, Foster and Wang were just several of a number of GHS athletes who also competed on the Cardinals’ 2021 squad, which captured the State Open team championship.
“Our team chemistry was really good and everyone was here cheering, even if they weren’t swimming – everyone was really supportive,” Jee said.
Ridgefield was the runner-up in the 200 medley relay (1:46.02), followed by Fairfield Ludlowe (1:49.36). Ward of Ridgefield was the 200 freestyle State Open champion (1:51.12), while Tigers teammate Bridget Kelly, a junior, had a second-place finish (1:52.16) and Brookfield junior Mia Hatzis took third (1:53.66). Greenwich was paced in the race by freshman Ellison Charette, who finished eighth in 1:55.15 and right behind her was teammate Wesley Wales (sophomore, 1:55.32.)
Manchester co-op sophomore Riley Anderson claimed the gold medal in the 50 freestyle with a time of 22.93 seconds and Ridgefield junior Lily Archibald posted a second-place finish in 23.39. Glastonbury senior Annika Paluska was third (23.83) and Wang took fourth for Greenwich in 23.98. Cardinals freshman Kensie Worden finished 10th in the race (24.71).
“I’m really excited that I got my best times,” said Wang, who was away from the team in 2022, as she attended school overseas. “I think I did really well, being back and getting my best times. It was good to be back in the team environment. Our team energy is amazing.”
In the 100-yard butterfly, Bozkurt earned the silver medal, placing a strong second in 56.66. Archibald of Ridgfield took the 100 butterfly title in 54.77 and Greenwich sophomore Melissa Geiger was 10th (59.52).
“I was pretty happy with my fly, I couldn’t have asked for much better,” Bozkurt said. “It was tough, because we had three championship meets back-to-back and one state prelim finals. It was so much fun, because everyone from our team was here and it really brought up the mood and I couldn’t have asked for a better ending – it was really fun.”
Wang was second in the 100 freestyle, touching the wall in 51.58 seconds. Anderson of Manchester co-op was the Open champion in the 100 freestyle (50.66), while Kelly of Ridgefield placed third (52.30). The Cards also got a 12th-place finish in the event from Worden (54.40).
Winning the triple crown – the FCIAC, Class LL and State Open championships – were goals the Cardinals sensed could come to fruition.
“Probably in the very beginning of the season we felt we could do it,” Wang noted. “We have very fast freshmen this year and sophomores and every class was very fast. I could see that in the very beginning of the season we were going to be a very successful team.”
“The kids executed from the very first day,” Heller added. “We said these are our goals, this is how we’re going to get there and every single day they came to the pool and took care of business.”
Heller reflected on Foster’s winning performances in the 500 freestyle and 200 individual medley.
“Payton really hasn’t lost a race all season and so coming into today, she knew she had some stiff competition with somebody else who probably hasn’t lost,” he said. “She rose to the occasion and it was awesome to see.”
Ridgefield’s foursome of Madeline Muncy, Ward, Kelly and Keira Giles earned top State Open honors in the 200-yard freestyle relay, combining for a time of 1:35.79. Wang, Worden, Wales and Foster placed second for Greenwich, registering a time of 1:35.86. The State Open Diving Championships was held on Nov. 16 at Middletown High School. New Canaan sophomore Emma Kelly won the State Open diving title, earning a score of 484.65 points over 11 rounds. Leading the way for Greenwich on the 1-meter diving board was senior Ava Vranos (374.35).
In the 100-yard backstroke, Bozkurt sparked the Cards with a second-place finish in 56.63 seconds. Natalie Gajecki of Cheshire captured the gold medal in the event, a blink of an eye ahead of Bozkurt with a time of 56.44.
“My backstroke was a very close race,” Bozkurt noted. “The girl who was next to me, she was so incredibly nice and I was happy that she did amazing as well. I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to the season. This is the best team I’ve ever been a part of. The team aspect is amazing.”
Jee led GHS with a fourth-place finish in the breaststroke, finishing the race with a time of 1:06.04. Julia Herbert of Bethel-Immaculate was the winner in 1:03.50 and Michelle Weissler, a junior, was 12th for the Cards in 1:08.02.
The meet concluded with Ridgefield’s Archibald, Kelly, Ward and Giles winning the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:27.04). The Cardinals received a second-place finish in the meet’s final race from Charette, Wales, Worden and Foster.
“We came out really strong, winning the 200 medley relay and then watching the 400 freestyle relay was really cool,” Jee said. “They did amazing. I am really proud of everyone.”
Said Anabelle Guarnera, also one of Greenwich’s captains: “I’m super proud of everyone, we did it all again. It was an amazing to watch, everyone really put their best foot forward today. From all the people in the pool, to the people in the stands, everyone did their best – everyone was cheering everyone on. It was a great team atmosphere.”
Heller had a positive feeling it was going to be a memorable season for his Cardinals at the team’s opening practices.
“The kids executed from the very first day,” he said. “We said, ‘these are our goals, this is how we’re going to get there’ and every single day they came to the pool and took care of business. Our swimmers and divers came to work every day and so to see them execute and see them have success – this is what you sign up for. This is why you do it, this is high school sports at its best.”