In past years, it hasn’t been uncommon for the Rye girls’ swimming and diving team to enjoy wild success in the regular season, resulting in a bandwagon full of Garnets punching their tickets to the Section championships.

 

By Jim Byrne

 

In past years, it hasn’t been uncommon for the Rye girls’ swimming and diving team to enjoy wild success in the regular season, resulting in a bandwagon full of Garnets punching their tickets to the Section championships.

 

The 2011 season has been no different. Rye finished 7-1 and will send several athletes to the swimming and diving portions of the Sectionals. The diving championships begin November 4 at Pace University, and the swimming event starts November 7 at Felix Festa Middle School in Rockland.

 

Leading the way in the pool have been junior Melissa Fulenwider, who has already qualified for the State championships in the 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke races, as well as Kelly Delane (200/500 freestyle), Charlotte Nixon (200 IM, 100 breaststroke), Catherine Tompkins (200/500 freestyle), and Katie Konopka (200 freestyle, 100 backstroke). From the board, both Mary Murtagh and Coco Darelius have excelled. Like Fulenwider, Darelius is already slated to compete at States.

 

“The girls are so special because they really are more than a team,” said head coach Shannon Bolger. “They are a family. They cheer one another on, they support each other in the pool and on the board, and they truly love being here.”

 

Both Bolger and Fulenwider praised the co-captains, seniors Lena Krikorian and Celia Palmer, as vital to the team’s success this season.

 

“They have been members of the team since the seventh grade, and I actually coached them when they were 8-unders,” said the coach. “I have been lucky enough to watch them grow and excel in the water. They are strong competitors who have helped lead our team in many ways.”
With six years of experience as a Garnet, Krikorian believes Rye’s success has been a result of their ability to unite as one and face challenges as a team.

 

The senior said, “While we are not recognized throughout our high school as much as other sports, we have realized that – thanks to our love of the sport – we can come together at our meets to channel our energy into winning our individual and relay events.”

 

It’s worth noting that both Fulenwider and Krikorian, who will compete at Sectionals in the 50 freestyle, felt the team’s defining moment came during their lone loss of the season against Horace Greeley. The Garnets already knew they had lost the meet, but, as Fulenwider noted, “We held it together and showed our strength in the final event”.

 

“Our whole team was standing by the blocks screaming our hearts out for the girls to come through,” added Krikorian. “While we didn’t win the meet, our spirits came alive and we won that relay.”

 

At the Section championships, Rye hopes to qualify as many relays, swimmers, and divers as possible for the State meet. They sent two relays and four individual swimmers in 2010, and hope to do at least that this time around.

 

But, surprise, surprise, trophies and medals aren’t the most important things to the Garnets.

 

“My ultimate goal this season was to have all the girls, who range from seventh graders to seniors, get to know each other, because swimming is a very individualized sport,” said Krikorian. “I’ve definitely felt the shift in responsibility going from a tiny seventh grader to a senior captain. I’ve also

realized how time totally flies by, and to enjoy every second.”