State well-represented on All-America lists
The All-America lists for each event the NISCA recently released includes a long list of Connecticut swimmers who sparked their respective squads to successful seasons.
Meghan Lynch, a Greenwich High School rising senior, earned National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association AllAmerica accolades in three events, while Trumbull’s
Lauren Walsh, a soon-to-be junior, also had All-America performances in three races.
Lynch, who recently announced her verbal commitment to swim at Stanford University, made the NISCA All-America list in the 200-yard individual medley, 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke for the Cardinals.
In each event, 100 athletes in the country are chosen for All-America honors. Lynch’s time of 1:59.13, a performance that gave her the CIAC Class LL title in the 200 IM, was the 14th fastest time in the nation. She also placed first in the event at the CIAC State Open this past fall.
Lynch posted an AllAmerica time of 50.79 seconds in the 100-yard freestyle during the Cardinals’ 2019 regular season (72nd in the nation). The 100-yard breaststroke saw Lynch finish second at the 2019 Class LL finals in an AllAmerica
finish of 1:02.57 (39th fastest time in the country).
Walsh had a second-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley at the Class LL meet (2:01.82, 48th nationally), good for AllAmerica honors. Her time of 55.45 seconds in the 100 butterfly ranked 99th in the nation.
At the State Open, Walsh captured the gold medal in the 100-yard breaststroke
(1:01.96) — a time ranking her 22nd on the All-America list.
Greenwich Academy’s 200-yard medley relay team of Sophia Moore (2020 graduate), Ashley Hu (rising senior), Brielle Gold (rising sophomore) and rising junior Maddie Holden made the All-America list by registering a time of 1:45.09 in the race (78th nationally).
Moore also swam a time of 55.60 seconds in the 100 backstroke (92nd nationally) in helping to lead Greenwich Academy to the NEPSAC Division I title for the fourth straight season this past winter.
Angela Gambardella, a
2020 North Haven graduate, excelled in the breaststroke throughout her standout high school career. She won the 100-yard breaststroke title at the Class M Championships, recording an AllAmerica time of 1:02.27. Her time was the 30th best in the country.
Gambardella, who was selected as a First Team member of the GameTimeCT All-State Girls Swimming Team, will continue her swimming career at the University of Connecticut.
Alexandra Bastone of Sacred Heart Greenwich ignited the Tigers with impressive performance in the distance events throughout her freshman season.
Bastone was an AllAmerica performer in the 500-yard freestyle event,
posting a time of 4:55.81 (78th best time in the country).
Also in the 500 freestyle, Suffield Academy rising senior Erin Jachym made the All-America list (4:55.93).
Jillian Cudney, a 2020 Hotchkiss School graduate, swam an All-America time of 23.43 in the 50 freestyle.
In the 200-yard freestyle relay, Darien’s quartet of Lexi Punishill (2020 graduate), Lily Bradbury (rising sophomore), Natalia Ferranto (rising sophomore) and Kendall Luecke, who is entering her senior year, claimed the first-place medal in the race at the 2019 State Open in 1:36.72 (All-America time).