Girls Swim, Dive Team Headed To SCC & CIAC Class M Championships

Submitted by Susan Wines.

The Daniel Hand Girls Swim and Dive Team continued its strong season, going 1-1 this week in contests against Amity and Mercy. The Lady Tigers are now 7-4 at the end of the regular season.

Date: Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021
Score: Amity (92) def. Hand (86)

The Daniel Hand Girls Swim and Dive Team suffered a defeat against SCC power Amity High School on Tuesday night. Hand took second place in the 200-yard medley relay with a team of freshmen Seorin Kim and Samantha Chemacki, senior Grace Sweeney, and freshman Lilian Miller with a time of 2:01.38. Senior Kacie Wines won the 200 yard freestyle in 2:07.54, with freshman Ariana Potter coming in third with a time of 2:13.21. Samantha Chemacki finished second in 200 yard individual medley with a time of 2:24.50. In the 100 yard butterfly, Grace Sweeney took second place with a time of 1:01.13. Hand finished second and third in the 500 yard freestyle behind strong performances from Ariana Potter (5:58.72) and sophomore Molly Hoban (6:18.93). The 200 yard freestyle relay team of Seorin Kim, Samantha Chemacki, Grace Sweeney, and Kacie Wines took second place in 1:48.22. Grace Sweeney posted the second fastest time in the 100 yard backstroke finishing in 1:05.67. In the next event, senior Abbi Chemacki also posted the second fastest time, finishing the 100 yard breaststroke in 1:18.25.

Date: Friday, Oct. 22, 2021
Score: Hand (92) def. Mercy (73)

Three days later, the Daniel Hand Girls Swim and Dive Team closed out their regular season with a win against Mercy High School by a score of 92-73. Hand finished first and third in the 200-yard medley relay, with the team of freshmen Seorin Kim and Samantha Chemacki, alongside seniors Grace Sweeney, and Kacie Wines finishing first with a time of 2:02.25, and the team of freshmen Lilian Miller and Aniella Lesnik, and sophomores Haley Wines and Rachel Gentil coming in third with a time of 2:14.99. In the second event, Senior Abbi Chemacki won the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 2:07.69. Hand then swept the 200 yard individual medley behind strong performances from Samantha Chemacki (2:22.05), Haley Wines (2:33.90) and sophomore Molly Hoban (2:38.91). In the 50 yard freestyle, Kacie Wines (26.91) and Seorin Kim (27.16) took first and second. Hand swept the 100 yard butterfly behind swims from Grace Sweeney (1:02.61), Kacie Wines (1:09.17) and Haley Wines (1:09.62). In the 100 yard freestyle, Freshmen Samantha Chemacki (58.21) and Ariana Potter (1:01.12) finished first and third. In the 500 yard freestyle, sophomore Molly Hoban (6:27.34) and freshman Emily Butler (6:30.06) notched second and third place. The Hand 200 freestyle relay team of Grace Sweeney, Haley Wines, Samantha Chemacki, and freshman Lily Vest won the event in 1:54.21. In the 100 yard backstroke sophomore Norah Stotz (1:10.64) and freshman Lilian Miller (1:10.80) finished first and second, clinching the win and sending the meet into exhibition scoring. In the final event of the night, Hand put up the top two times in the 400 freestyle relay with teams of Grace Sweeney, Samantha Chemacki, freshman Aniella Lesnik and Kacie Wines (4:15.22) followed by Lily Vest, junior Hannah Campbell, Abbi Chemacki, and Seorin Kim (4:19.47).

Hand head coach Jen Lyman is very excited about post season prospects for the team as they head into the SCC and CIAC Class M championships. The Lady Tigers compete next at the SCC trials at the Cheshire Community Pool on Monday, November 1 at 4:00 p.m.