NO STOPPING DUXBURY IN DIVISION 2 MEET
Defending Duxbury dominates
There are some high school teams out there that are seemingly impossible to slay, no matter how hard you battle them.
Duxbury coincidentally has a few of those. The Dragons soared above the pack yesterday, clinching their second straight Division 2 girls swimming and diving state championship in lopsided fashion at Boston University.
“This is by far the strongest team we’ve ever had,” Duxbury coach Elizabeth Walsh said. “Unfortunately we’ve got a pretty solid senior class that’s leaving, but they’re leaving on a really high note.”
While last season’s title may have been a little close for comfort, coming down to the final relay, this year was quite the opposite for Duxbury. Julia Ali, Mary Buckley, Grace Ali and Anna Jamieson opened the day by setting a state record time of 1:44.80 in the 200-yard medley relay.
The event proved to foreshadow what lied ahead. The Dragons went on to dominate, winning four more events while placing in the upper tier in five of the remaining seven en route to a 323 team points — 142 clear of second place Weston.
Buckley went on to win both the 200 individual medley (2:05.63) and the 100 breaststroke in a record time of 1:01.74, shattering her own mark from a year ago. Julia Ali took the 100 backstroke, clocking in at 55.82.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Buckley said. “It’s surreal. It hasn’t really hit me yet. But I think it’s just a great way to go out, with these seniors. It’s the least we could do.
“I’m so proud of everyone on this team. From freshmen to seniors, everyone has done so well. And I can’t wait to see how the rest of the team does next year.”
For second-place Weston, Jacey Hinton edged Grace Ali to win the 100 freestyle (51.10) and added a second in the 50 free, and the Wildcats rolled to victory in the 200 free relay in 1:38.09.
Also impressing on the grand stage was Marblehead’s Meagan Hathaway. The Bucknell commit won both distance races, the 200 free (1:53.70) and the 500 free (5:02.61).
Hopkinton senior Andrea Wei did well herself, earning first-place honors in the 50 free (23.56) before setting a meet record in the 100 butterfly in 54.93.
The diving was a showdown between Lynnfield’s Sabrina Bunar and Bedford’s Megan Demeo, with Bunar capturing the title with 516.25 points, ahead of Demeo’s 510.25.
With one event to go, Duxbury put the finishing touches on its hardware, blowing away the field in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:32.55.
Since Walsh arrived at Duxbury, it has been one wild ride with many highs, most of which she has experienced with this senior class. While it pains her to watch the current class depart, Walsh is thankful for the success they have accumulated in two seasons, both of which seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.
“This senior class is unbelievable,” Walsh said. “Talent-wise, personality-wise ... they put their heart and soul into everything that they do. Whether it’s cheering, racing, what they do at practice, they motivate the other kids around them to elevate themselves to greatness.”