Meghan Lynch and Annie Bingle of Greenwich and Trumbull’s Lauren Walsh all had the best performances in the state in their respective events this past fall as they highlighted a large group of 55 young ladies from the FCIAC selected to the 2020 Connecticut High School Coaches Association All-State Girls Swimming and Diving Team.
Greenwich led the conference with 14 selections. New Canaan was second with 10, Darien was third with eight and Wilton had seven.
Due to the abnormality of the pandemic season which prevented any state championship meets from taking place, the CHSCA utilized a different format to designate all-state status this year.
The swimmers who were selected had the fastest submitted times of the year statewide. The 16 swimmers with the fastest times in each of the eight individual events and every swimmer on a relay team among those with the 12 fastest times made all-state, as did the 18 divers who had the highest scores in the diving competition.
Lynch earned all-state status four ways – twice for having the fastest times in the state in individual events and two more times for being a member of a pair of relay teams which also had the fastest times in the state.
Lynch, who will be a student-athlete at Stanford University, completed her fantastic career by having the state’s fastest times in the 500-yard freestyle with a 4:46.74 and in the 200 free with a 1:47.83. She was also on Greenwich’s 200 medley relay (1:47.35) and 400 freestyle relay (3:41.37) teams.
Bingle clearly established herself as the state’s best diver with the highest score of 461.25.
Payton Foster, Caterina Li, and Samantha Ennis joined Lynch as Greenwich Cardinals who also earned all-state honors in two individual events and two relay events apiece.
Foster had the state’s second fastest time, behind Lynch, in the 200 free (1:51.13), the third fastest time in the 500 free (4:58.26) and was a member of the 200 free relay and 400 free relay teams.
Li was all-state in the 100 butterfly, 100 breaststroke, 200 medley relay and 400 free relay while Ennis earned all-state in the 100 backstroke, 200 individual medley, 200 medley relay and 200 free relay;
The other Greenwich Cardinals who made all-state were Victoria Liu (500 free, 200 IM, 200 free relay), Isabella Malchow (100 backstroke), Sydney Jee (100 breaststroke), Sophia Sichtnik (100 breaststroke), Daisy Decker (500 free), Sabrina Hobert (200 medley relay, 400 free relay), Sofie Wang (200 free relay), and divers Ellie Scharff and Esme Merrill.
Walsh, one of four Trumbull Eagles who earned all-state status, had the state’s fastest time of 1:02.12 in the 100 breaststroke and the second fastest time behind Lynch in the 500 free (4:58.74). She also earned all-state kudos on the 200 medley relay with teammates Norah Hampford, Kristen Racicot and Jacqueline Dale.
Maddie Haley of New Canaan had the state’s second fastest times in both the 100 backstroke (56.6) and 200 individual medley (2:08.42) and was also on the all-state 200 medley and 400 free relay teams.
Kelci Haley was also all-state four times – the 100 butterfly, 200 IM, 200 free relay and 400 free relay).
The eight other Rams who made all-state included Paige Volpe (200 free relay, 400 free relay), Emma Peloso (200 medley relay, 200 free relay), Skylar Mascarinas (200 medley relay, 200 free relay), Ellie Park (400 free relay), Kaylana Couturo (200 medley relay), and divers Natalie Pennman, Kaitlyn Maggio and Ella Ofafson).
Kendall Luecke of Darien was an all-state swimmer in five total events – the 100 free, 200 free and all three relays.
Darien’s seven other all-state swimmers were Meg Erickson (500 free, 200 IM, 400 free relay), Maggie Sedlak (200 free, 200 free relay, 400 free relay),
Olivia Golden (100 backstroke, 200 medley relay), Hope Murray (100 fly, 200 medley relay, 400 free relay), Natalie Ferranto (50 free, 200 medley relay, 200 free relay), Gracie Spataro (500 free) and Emily Kalvaitis, who teamed up with Sedlak, Ferranto and Luecke on Darien’s 200 free relay team which had the third fastest time in state (1:39.91).
Ava Fasano of Wilton was one of the best swimmers in the state as she had the third fastest time in both the 100 backstroke (56.85) and 50 freestyle (24.03) and was also on the all-state 200 medley and 400 free relay teams.
Virginia Hastings was also all-state four times (500 free, 200 free, 200 free relay, 400 free relay).
Wilton’s Avery Newcomer, Olivia Crissafulli and Carolyn Hendricks were on the all-state 200 medley relay and 200 free relay teams, while Aanya Kongettira and Abby Gardner made all-state on the 400 free relay team.
Ridgefield’s Hannah Seward and Rylie Giles both earned all-state status in two individual events and on the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay teams with Riley Riebling, and Miranda Bonitatebus.
Seward had the state’s second fastest time of 55.98 in the 100 butterfly and she was also all-state in the 100 free. Giles was all-state individually in the 500 free and 200 free. Riebling was all-state in the 100 backstroke and Bonitatebus in the 200 IM.
Ella Alpert (100 fly, 100 backstroke) and Jessica Qi (100 free and 200 free) of Staples were both all-state in two individual events and on the 200 free relay team with Sophie Mechanic and Hannah Strauss.
Hannah Chuckas of Westhill/Stamford had 422.1 points for the third highest diving score in the state while here teammates who also made all-state included Annie Edwards (100 free) and fellow diver Julia Stefanowicz.
Norwalk’s Morgan Saunders was all-state in the 100 breaststroke.