New Paltz, FDR lead locals at state meet

New Paltz and Roosevelt led 13 area swimmers at the state girls swimming championships.

New Paltz High’s Abigail Santos and Roosevelt’s Amber Diehl led 13 area swimmers at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association girls swimming and diving championships at Ithaca College.

Competing in Saturday’s finals, Santos placed ninth in the 50-yard freestyle in 24.46 seconds, while Diehl was eighth in the 100 breaststroke in 1:04.84. Santos qualified for the finals by placing 10th in Friday’s preliminaries in 24.37, while Diehl was ninth in her prelim in 1:05.34.

Santos finished 17th in the 100 butterfly consolation final in 59.28 after placing 19th in preliminaries in 58.84. She also teamed with Bella Santos, Maia Clasby and Josie LaPolt to finish 32nd

in the 200 medley relay in 1:52.26.

In addition, Abigail and Bella Santos teamed with Lydia Brutvan and Keira Couliard-Smith to finish 45th in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:42.25.

Clasby placed 47th in the 100 breaststroke in 1:09.91, while New Paltz teammate April Cook was 45th in the 500 freestyle in 5:21.29.

Diehl teamed with Catherine Graham, Ashley Patierno and Lauren Sanford to finish 46th in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:42.49. Graham was disqualified in Saturday’s 100 breaststroke consolation final after qualifying 15th in prelims in 1:06.36. Patierno, meanwhile, was 66th in the 100 butterfly in 1:01.86.

Highland’s Ashley Benkert placed 37th in the 100 butterfly in 59.67, while Rhinebeck’s Miya Vitale was 53rd in the 100 backstroke in 1:01.49.