This year’s Rye/Rye Neck/Blind Brook Girls’ Swim and Dive team was the largest ever, with 42 girls.

By Melanie Cane

This year’s Rye/Rye Neck/Blind Brook Girls’ Swim and Dive team was the largest ever, with 42 girls. While their overall team record was 3-5, several girls went on to the Divisionals and Sectionals. The Diving team was very successful, with four of the five girls qualifying for Sectionals. Rye High School freshman Katie Laverty is the only team member who qualified for States after earning fourth place in Sectionals at SUNY Purchase on October 30. Rye’s Maddy Kenney earned sixth place, Rye’s Julia MacLaury came in 12th, and Rye Neck’s Giana Waldman took 16th.

Eight swimmers qualified for Section 1 Sectionals, which were held at the Felix Fiesta pool November 2 and 3. The team’s fastest swimmer, Rye Neck eighth grader Grace Kujawski, placed 14th in the 100m Breaststroke in the preliminaries, making her the only swimmer on the team to make the finals. The 200 Medley Relay team of Hannah Simmons, Grace Kujawski, Sam Bluvol, and Courtney Lyons placed 18th. Simmons also placed 22nd in the 100 Backstroke, and Bluvol took 23rd in the 500m Freestyle. Maggie Victory, who placed 29th in the 200 Freestyle and 30th in the 100 Breaststroke, was also part of the 400 Free Relay with Ida Henriksson, Bluvol, and Simmons that placed 20th. The 200 Free Relay, comprised of Courtney Lyons, Kujawski, Jane Curran, and Henriksson, placed 29th.

Laverty will compete in the State Diving Championships at Ithaca College November 20-21.