Weston Girls Win State Swimming Title in Squeaker

WESTON, Conn. – Olivia Clark won the 100 breaststroke and Weston’s girls swimming team won its second straight Class S state championship Tuesday night with a two-point victory over Lauralton Hall of Milford.

The Trojans finished with 604 points, Lauralton Hall with 602. St. Joseph of Trumbull was third with 422. The meet was held at Wesleyan University in Middletown.

Clark’s victory in the penultimate event was particularly critical for the Trojans. She earned 30 points for the team and beat two Lauralton swimmers, who placed third and fourth. Clark finished in 1:06:98, improving her seeding time by nearly five seconds. She also finished second in the 500 freestyle.

The battle between Weston and Lauralton Hall started in the first race. The Milford school won the 200-yard medley relay, followed by the Trojans with Katherine Angelidis, Clark, Cathryn Ledwick and McCall Kelley.

Weston took second in the 200-yard freestyle relay with Dacia Gross, Alessandra Edgar, Cathryn Ledwick and Katharine Johnson, eclipsing the team's seeded time by over seven seconds. Weston nipped Lauralton Hall by just over a second in the event.  The Trojans also took third in the 400 free relay with Angelidis, Edgar, Clark and Johnson.

In individual events, Weston girls in the top eight included Johnson (third, 50 free; third, 100 free); Edgar (fifth, 50 free; seventh, 100 free); Hannah Schroeder (second, diving); Angelidis (fourth, 100 butterfy; seventh, 100 backstroke) and  Brenna Nimkoff (eighth, 500 free).

Weston had a similar close call in last year’s state championships, when it won by six points over East Catholic. Weston finished second in 2009 and third in 2008. It also won the Class S title in 2006. The Trojans won state titles in consecutive years for the first time since 1986-87, when it capped a run of seven straight state class titles. Weston is coached by Tom Grace.

The Trojans will compete in the State Open Saturday at Yale University. Complete results of the Class M championships are online.

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