Girls go undefeated for third straight state swim/dive crown
“Not only are these kids phenomenal athletes, they are also phenomenal people. It makes the wins that much better.”
It took contributions from everyone on the Acton-Carlisle girls swimming and diving team to capture the state championship crown for the third straight year — a historic achievement for Patriots athletics. For the first time ever, the CCHS girls finished the season undefeated.
- Scores: CCHS secured first place with 283 points in last Saturday’s MIAA Division 1 showdown at MIT; Amherst High School placed second with 244 points.
- Big day: Two Patriots were crowned state champions: Sarah Fortier is the 100-yard breaststroke champ for the second year in a row, and Audrey Herz won the diving competition and is under All-America consideration. Bea Turrettini set a school record in the 200 freestyle at 1:53.91.
- Turning point: As they have done all season long, the Patriots divers came through. Herz, Maya Jaffe (sixth place), Gwenyth Ely (seventh) and Holden Taunton-Rigby (ninth) contributed 54 points collectively to propel CCHS into the lead for good.
- Unsung heroes: The 200 medley relay team (Phoebe Renyi, Mena Sheth, Fortier, Aela Bruno) secured fourth place. The 200 freestyle relay (Bruno, Polly Curran, Turrettini, Rowan Kean) locked in second place, and the 400 freestyle relay team (Turrettini, Hana Baldini, Sarah Nadzo, Curran) finished third. Bruno had a strong performance in the 100 breaststroke, placing third. In the 500 freestyle, Turrettini (third place), Nadzo (seventh) and Curran (eighth) all brought home big points. Curran also placed third in the 200 individual medley. Turrettini and Baldini added team points with third- and eighth-place finishes, respectively, in the 200 freestyle.
- Coach’s kudos: “It has been a good run,” Head Coach Matt Goldberg said. “[It’s] a team with incredible depth, as we were able to score points across most events, both with some top-seeded swimmers and divers but also many others scoring points as well. … These last four years have been special. Not only are these kids phenomenal athletes, they are also phenomenal people. It makes the wins that much better.”
- Happy homecoming: After celebrating at MIT, the team rolled into downtown Acton with a police escort, greeted with cheers as they paraded through the streets as three-time state champions.
This story includes previously published information.
