Rye Swimmers Make Waves at Counties and Conferences

The 86th Annual Westchester County Swimming Association Championships, in what may be its final year at the Playland pool, got off to a late start when thunder and lightning washed out opening day August 1. Fortunately, all 48 events went off without another hitch over the next three days.

By Melanie Cane

The 86th Annual Westchester County Swimming Association Championships, in what may be its final year at the Playland pool, got off to a late start when thunder and lightning washed out opening day August 1. Fortunately, all 48 events went off without another hitch over the next three days.

Rye’s Liam Egan, swimming for Orienta Beach Club, got things off to a record-breaking start in the 13-U 200 IM, going 2:08.37. In the 14-and-unders, Egan finished third in the 100 butterfly, second in the 100 freestyle, and third in the 100 breaststroke, amassing the second-most points overall in the Boys’ 13-14 division.

Other male Rye swimmers with impressive scores were Spencer LaFata, who took the 12-U 50 free for Coveleigh Club and came in second in the 50 back to finish third overall in the Boys 11-12 group, and Rye Golf Club’s Ryan Whittington, fourth overall in the 10-and-unders.

On the female side, Coveleigh Club, swimming more than five seconds faster than they did in the prelims, finished in a dead heat with top seed WCC in the 10-U 200 medley relay. Maggie Scala of Coveleigh Club, and Olivia Scotti of WCC, the pair that battled head-to-head in the relay, also tied for eighth in the overall 10-and-unders.

Coveleigh’s Courtney Lyons finished fourth in 11-12s; Kelly O’Neill, swimming for Rye Golf, took fourth place in the 15-17 age group; and Tessa Garces, also swimming for RGC, improved her time in the prelims to cop fourth place in the 14-U 100 back en route to an overall top-8 finish in 13-14s.

When the girls’ scores were tallied at meet’s end, Coveleigh finished third, just ahead of Rye Golf Club. When the boys’ scores were factored in, the teams flipped places: RGC took sixth with 118 points and Coveleigh Club was seventh with an even 100. If this was the final time Counties will be held at Playland, it was a great way to say goodbye.

The next day it was back in the water for most of the swimmers and divers competing in the County Swim Conference Championships. Westchester Country Club, hosting the finals August 11, took the crown with more than a hundred points to spare over Lake Isle, which nipped Greenburgh 748.5 to 748. Rye Golf was fourth, Coveleigh eighth, and Shenorock tenth. AYC, Manursing, and Apawamis also competed.

Olivia Jackson of Shenorock, setting a new record of 59.43 in the 100 back, ruled the 17-and-under Girls with 60 points. Fellow record-setter Emma Madden of WCC, who took the 100 breast in 1:05.20, was next with 51. Westchester’s Andrew Stotesbury dominated the 14-and-under Boys with 60 points, while teammate Timmy Perley, who broke the 100 breast mark with a time of 59.14, came in second overall in the 17-and-under boys.