On a combined basis, the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School swim teams finished sixth out of eight teams that competed in the 20th Bay Colony Conference Championships on Sunday, Feb. 1, at Bridgewater State University. Nantucket won the boys championship and Nauset won the girls and overall championships.
The Vineyard girls qualified for a relay in the South/Central Sectional Championships for the first time in team history. The 400 free relay team (co-captain Galya Walt, Lia Potter, Katherine Hansen, and Renee Goodale) shattered their school record by almost 7 seconds, and are headed to Wellesley College on Sunday, Feb. 8. The relay team finished in sixth place with a time of 4:13.65. “We had some good swims,” MVRHS varsity swim team Head Coach Jonathan Chatinover told The Times. “This is a big deal for me,” he added, “because it is the first time we’ve had a relay qualify. I was very excited, very pleased, and very happy for the girls.”
Lia Potter lowered her school record in the 100 fly by over a second, finishing seventh in 1:07.39. Renee Goodale had the girls highest finish with a third in the 200 IM. The girls 200 freestyle relay team lowered their school record, finishing fifth in 1:56.41. In the team scoring, the girls finished last out of 8 teams.
The boys finished sixth, improving on their point total of 78 last year to 174 this year. Patrick Best qualified for the sectionals in a second event, finishing third in the 100 free in 52.67 (lowering his school record by over a second; he had already qualified in the 50 free). Co-captain Tucker Cosgrove finished sixth in the event, and Harrison Dorr swam a personal best 59.65 to finish eleventh (the top 12 finishers in each event scored team points).
The Vineyarders had three top 10 finishes in the 50 free, with Patrick and Tucker finishing 4 and 5 and Evan Sauter finishing 10th with his best time of 25.56. The boys 200 free relay team (Evan Sauter, Harrison Dorr, Tucker Cosgrove, and Patrick Best) set a new school record (1:41.10), finished fourth and missed qualifying for the sectionals by less than a second. The second relay of Josh Boucher, Nevin Wallis, Ethan Lefebvre, and co-captain Justice Yennie finished 10th overall. Evan then picked up a sixth place in the 100 back before helping the 400 freestyle relay to a third-place finish. The second 400 free relay finished ninth.
Other Vineyarders who also recorded personal best times were Charlotte Hammond and Paolo Pereira.
“It was very exciting that the girls relay qualified,” Mr. Chatinover said, “and Patrick (Best) qualified in another individual event. Some kids swam their best times, so all-in-all it was a successful day.”
Tuesday’s scheduled meet against Coyle-Cassidy was canceled due to that school’s snow day, and will not be made up.
Sectionals are this weekend. Patrick Best swims with the boys this Saturday night Feb. 7 at Boston University and the girls swim Sunday afternoon Feb. 8 at Wellesley College. Members of the qualifying girls relay team will compete and Jessica Sonia will go as a relay alternate. In addition, Renee Goodale will swim individually in the 200-yard individual medley (IM) and the 100-yard breaststroke, and Lia Potter will swim individually in the 100-yard butterfly.
After sectionals all that remain are the States. Renee Goodale has qualified in her two individual events, the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke.