Team laurels, individual titles on line at state championship meets

NEW HAVEN — If the Class L swim championship plays out as closely as the qualifying times turned in than the state title will be up for grabs on Tuesday at the Hutchinson Natatorium on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University. Swimming begins at 6.

Newtown sophomore Brianna Deierlein took top honors in the 200 freestyle and the 100-backstroke at Saturday’s qualifying meet in West Hartford. The SouthWest Conference Swimmer of the Year was the lone double winner, but bringing the best of the best together resulted in impressive times.

While Deierlein lowered her seed time in each event, winning the 200 free in 1:54.32 and the backstroke in 57.29, Cheshire junior Avery Potyrala was right with her in the 200 free (1:54.40). Wilton junior Virginia Hastings was next in 154.72. Julia Barto from Cheshire finished second (58.70) in the backstroke.

Natalia Ferranto from Darien touched the wall first in the 50 freestyle in 24:23. The next five places were within .54 of a second, led by Wethersfield senior Alanna DePinto (24.32).

New Canaan senior Lillian Codd swam a 5:07.45 in the 500 freestyle to edge out Hastings from Wilton (5:07.95).

DePinto placed first in the 100-freestyle at 52.83. Potyrala from Cheshire continued her fine swim, taking second in 53.14. Wethersfield sophomore Sabrina Schuster was third (54.09) and Darien junior Lily Bradbury fourth (54.10).

Barto from Cheshire qualified best in the 200 IM with a time of 2:05.08, three-plus seconds lower than seed. Darien’s Miller Ward followed suit as the sophomore took three seconds off to place second in 2:06.45.

Ward won the 100-butterfly. Her time of 56.93 was followed by Cheshire junior Julianna Tyler (58.50) and Darien junior Emily Kalvaitis (59.85).

Conard’s freshman tandem of Liv Sherry (1:07.33) and Tess Sherry (1:08.34) were first and third, respectively, in the competitive 100-breaststroke. South Windsor junior Amber Simpson Zeng was second (1:07.75).

Darien was first and Wilton second at the 2019 class meet.

CLASS M MEET TODAY IN WEST HARTFORD

Bethel/Immaculate posted impressive times at the qualifying round for the Class M swim championship to be held Tuesday at Cornerstone Aquatics Center in West Hartford. Swimming starts at 6.

Olivia Hebert and junior classmate Cate Carboni from Bethel/Immaculate were one-two in the 200 freestyle with times of 1:57.55 and 1:58.37, respectively, at the meet held on Saturday in East Hartford. Jonathan Law’s Emma Savoie was third with a school record time of 1:58.69, five-plus seconds lower than seed.

Carboni won the 500 freestyle in 5:09.68. Sweeney (5:15.53) and Abby Chemacki (5:21.43), seniors from Daniel Hand, took the next two spots.

Lyman Hall junior Elise Richardson qualified first in the 100 freestyle (54.54) and the 100-backstroke (59.54).

Carolyn Jandura from Bethel/Immaculate was second in the 100 free (55.54) closely followed by Loretta Cecchini (55.94) from Old Lyme/Valley Regional/Old Saybrook.

In the 100-back, Masuk junior Eva Helmke was second in 1:01.42. Foran sophomore Ellen Pan took third in 1:01.98.

Danielle Tanaka Sales, a junior from St. Joseph, placed first in the competitive 50 freestyle in 24.89. Rockville sophomore Joclyn Niemczyk took second (25.03), followed by Helmke from Masuk (25.31), Jandura from Bethel/Immaculate (25.40), Bailey Baclaski from Berlin (25.76) and Cecchini from Old Lyme/ Valley Regional/Old Saybrook (25.96).

North Haven won the 2009 title, Daniel Hand was second.

FOSTER, KUDLAC LEAD CLASS LL QUALIFIERS

Greenwich’s Payton Foster and Glastonbury’s Avery Kudlac each qualified first in two events for Wednesday’s Class LL swim championship at SCSU. The qualifying meet for the class final, won by Cheshire in 2019, was held Saturday in East Hartford.

Foster, a sophomore for the 2019 state runner-up Cardinals, bettered her seed in the 200 IM by nearly four seconds. Her time of 1:53.58 was followed by Trumbull senior Lauren Walsh 2:03.91 and Enfield/Somers senior Aislin Ferris 2:04.13. Foster swam a 5:03.41 in the 500freestyle. Junior Meghan Tiernan from Hall was second in 4:04.23 and West Haven/Wilbur Cross junior Norah Rome third at 5:07.29.

Kudlac, a junior for the Gladiators, was best in the 200 freestyle and the 100butterfly. She swam a 1:53.58 to lower her seed time by four seconds in the 200 free. Ridgefield freshman Keira Giles was second (1:55.98) and Staples senior Jessica Qi third (1:56.68). Kudlac’s time of 56.71 in the 100-fly was followed by Ridgefield freshman Lily Archibald’s 57.39 and Ludlowe senior Kathleen Murray 57.51.

Staples’ freshman Annam Olasewere, the FCIAC’s Most Outstanding Swimmer, qualified first in the 50 freestyle in 23.15. She was followed by Murray from Staples (23.87) and Riley Kudlac from Glastonbury (23.88).

Ferris from Enfield/Somers finished first in the 100backstroke in 56.91. Hall junior Jacquelin Fox was second (57.42) and Greenwich freshman Sena Bozkurt third (59.33).

Riley Kudlac from Glastonbury won 100 freestyle with a time of 51.72. Olsawere from Staples was second (52.53) and Greenwich sophomore Sofia Wang third (53.38).

Trumbull’s Walsh was first in the 100-breaststroke 1:03.21. Greenwich freshman Michelle Weissler was second in 1:05.69 and Amity freshman Marea Li third at 1:06.65.

TOP TEAMS IN CLASS S PACE QUALIFIERS

Weston captured the Class S championship in 2019. Lauralton Hall was second.

Nothing in Saturday’s qualifying meet suggests that they won’t challenge for another crown on Wednesday at Cornerstone Aquatics Center in West Hartford.

Senior Alexandra Bradley led the way when South-West Conference champion Weston took the top three spots in the 200 IM. Her time of 2:12.47 was followed by juniors Zofia Chmiel (2:15.26) and Olivia Huewe (2:16.65).

Lauralton senior Claire Kehley followed up her Most Outstanding Swimmer performance in the Southern Connecticut Conference meet by posting the best times in the 200 and 500 freestyle.