Greenwich YWCA Dolphins Bring Home the Medals

In what many people in swimming circles, believe is the premier winter swimming invitational of the short course USA season, one of the Greenwich’s own, was among the event’s largest stars.

The Greenwich YWCA Dolphins’ Meghan Lynch, 12, claimed 7 gold medals, in 7 races and added a Connecticut State Resident record and a USA Junior National qualifying standard, to her list of achievements at the 2015 Nation’s Capital Aquatic Club Invitational Swim meet held at the University of Maryland this past weekend.

The meet, with 1,700 athletes from 51 teams from the Eastern seaboard, was held in College Park, MD. The meet included World record holder and Olympic Gold medalist, Katie Ledecky, 18, of the host club, as well several national age group record holders. Ledecky on the meet’s final night, set an American record in the 1,000-yard Freestyle of 8:59.65.

Lynch, collected wins in the 100-, 200- and 500-yard Freestyle races as well as in the 100 Individual Medley and Breaststroke races and in the 200 Individual Medley and Breaststroke races. The seven gold medals gave her the age group high point award with 140 points, the maximum possible.

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Lynch posted respective times of 53.04, 1:53.63 and 5:04.34 in winning the 100-, 200- and 500-yard Freestyle races. The 100-yard Breaststroke and Individual Medley wins were at 1:05.15 and 59.22 respectively. Lynch claimed gold in the 200-yard Breaststroke at 2:19.01 and in the 200-yard Individual Medley at 2:06.61.

Both the 100-yard and 200-yard Individual Medley races are the second fastest times in the 11-12 age group nationally this year, as are the 200-yard Breaststroke and Freestyle efforts. The 100-Free is the fourth fastest and the 500-Free is ranked number five nationally. The 200-yard Freestyle clocking breaks the State Resident record of 1:53.75 held by Northeast Connecticut’s Eva Crouse. The 200-yard Breaststroke clocking qualified her for the USA Swimming Winter Junior National Championships.

“Meghan continues to excel at a variety of events and distances and it is exciting to watch her develop and improve daily. To come away with a State Record and a Junior National Qualifying time at the mid-point in the season is extraordinary,” said Dolphins Coach Nick Cavataro.

Other Dolphin scorers included Daphne Edwards, 10, who picked up a pair of bronze medals in the 50 and 100-yard Butterfly with times of 31.50 and 1:13.11, in the 10-and-under age group. Edwards also claimed a fourth place in the 100-IM 1:12.47 and a pair of fifth place medals in the 50-Free and 200-IM with respective time of 28.99 and 2:38.47. Edwards was also 10th in the 100-Back at 1:15.26 and 12th in the 100-Breast at 1:25.55.

Olivia Baine, 11, swimming in the 11-12 group, was 11th in the 200-Breaststroke at 2:39.90; 15th in the 50-Breaststroke at 34.25 and 16th in the 100-Breast at 1:14.32. Insley Carpenter, 12, was 11th in the 50-Breaststroke at 33.91. Samantha Ennis, 12, was 14th in the 50-Back at 29.82 and 16th in the 200-Back at 2:20.04. Avery Sammons, 12, was 12th I the 200-Breastsroke at 2:42.55. Zoe Sorensen, 10, grabbed 15th in the 10-and-under 100-Butterfly at 1:21.13; and, Victoria Liu, 10, picked up a 16th place in the 100-Back at 1:16.58.

Action on the Boys side for the Dolphins saw Aiden Bucaria, 10, take fifth in the 10-and-under 100-yard Breaststroke at 1:24,56; ninth in the 200-IM at 2:43.42; and 12th, 14th and 16th respectively in the 200-Freem 100-IM and 100-Butterfly with times of 2:26..6, 1:17.23 and 1:22.16.

Swimming in the 11-12, Alexander Hazlett, 12, placed ninth in the 200-Free at 2:02.82; 10th in the 100-Free at 56.52; 12th in the 100-Butterfly at 1:03.88; 14th in the 50-Free at 25.88; and, 16th in the 50-Butterfly at 29.36.

Tomas Delgado, 10, was 10th in the 100-Back at 1:15.26; 11th in the 100-IM at 1:15.61; and 12th in the 100-Free at 1:06.04.

Other Dolphins participants included Christine Flood, 13; Madeleine Holden, 12; Thomas Lewis, 14; Alex Lim, 12; Thomas Mackey, 17; Barbara Malone, 14; Julia Merrill, 15; Claire Michalik, 13; Alexander Morgan, 13; Patrick Mullen, 11; Jaden Nygaard, 12; Allison Opuszynski, 14; Lily O’Sullivan, 10; Emma Robinson 11; Ben Schinto, 12; Taylor Schinto, 15; Zoe Sorensen, 10; Percy Wayne, 10; Caitlyn Weil, 12; Ursula Wise, 12, and Jack Wolpers, 10.

Contributed photo: Coach Jeremy Cochran with Meghan Lynch receiving High Point Award.