Abrupt end to difficult season
Officials forced to stop season- ending meet after Ledyard athlete learns of positive COVID- 19 test upon arrival
East Lyme — The East Lyme High School swim team was outside of the pool late Saturday morning in the courtyard, jubilantly partaking in Senior Day following its participation in the Eastern Connecticut Conference's 2020 version of a league championship meet.
Each team was to swim in its own time slot at the East Lyme pool for the sake of consistency.
East Lyme began at 10 a. m., with Ledyard to follow at 12: 30 and Waterford at 3 p. m.
But as East Lyme celebrated, Ledyard made a quick exit from the building soon after it arrived.
A member of the Ledyard team was determined to have tested positive for COVID- 19 — unknowingly, according to coach Katey Kokomoor, and not notified until she was already on the bus — prohibiting the Colonels from participating in their portion of the meet and restricting the use of the East Lyme pool for the remainder of the day.
East Lyme athletic director Steve Hargis, the ECC's swimming chairman, said in a telephone interview that he would need to consult with the coaches, but as far as he was concerned the remainder of the meet would be canceled.
"We're done," Hargis said of the virtual meet. "The intent of the meet was to level it out and have it swum all at the same time, have everybody go through and use the same pool. I think we'll wait until the dust settles and see what the restart is ... ( but) everyone's very frustrated at many levels; I'd like to not add to that right now.
"The intent of the postseason meet was to provide the maximum opportunity for everyone. Clearly, we came up short."
Ledyard athletic director/ assistant principal Jim Buonocore, meanwhile, spent the day in his office involved in contact tracing. He spoke to each athlete on the swim team and her parent or guardian on the phone regarding the situation, he said, and submitted his findings to the Ledge Light Health District about 4 p. m. for advisement.
"It's good to be able to speak to the parents. The girls are heartbroken," Buonocore said. "A lot of hard work and effort went into the culminating event ( of the season). It's just the situation we're in. We have to deal with it. We're trying to move forward in a safe and healthy way.
"It's been a difficult fall from the beginning for all of the student- athletes. In the sport of swimming, they haven't had the ability to compete in a live format ( all meets have been virtual) and they haven't been able to have their friends or parents as spectators. ... I feel for the seniors. I feel for all the student- athletes."
Amid what has been COVID- related chaos for all high school sports this year, winter and spring followed by fall, the ECC's board of directors scheduled some sort of "postseason experience" for every fall sport.
The league's football combine was the first to fall, followed by a trio of ECC cross country meets which were slated for Wednesday. ECC cross country chair Kevin Burke, the AD at Bacon Academy, scheduled a series of dual meets in place of the postseason championships, which featured Norwich Free Academy competing for the first time this season.
Saturday's swimming event was also altered. It was scheduled as an in- person meet, but later switched to the virtual format. There were to be no team scores kept — preventing East Lyme from attempting to win its 21st straight championship — but the top swimmers in each event would be honored, as well as ECC sportsmanship awards and scholarathletes awards, which were to be designated in all sports.
The Fitch/ Stonington/ New London cooperative swim team was already not competing due to Fitch moving to complete distance learning as of Nov. 2 because of COVID- 19 concerns.
East Lyme's portion of the meet, which was contested over little more than an hour, went off without a hitch in its home pool. Senior Grace Vlaun finished first among her teammates in the 100- and 200- yard freestyles and junior Nikki Hahn, the The Day's 2019 All- Area Swimmer of the Year, took the 200 individual medley and the 100 breaststroke. Junior Grace Liu swam the 100 butterfly as the only one in the pool.
Those times were to be punched into a computer program to be sorted along with the results of the other ECC teams.
"It's definitely sad it's my last year," Vlaun said following the Vikings' races. "ECCs ( usually) would have been more competitive and would have had more time in between races. ... But we still finished on a high note."
"We talk about building character," coach Jack Stabach said. "I tell you, my seniors have character. They're good captains. They work together. I didn't have to remind them about anything."
Kokomoor said the Ledyard athlete in question originally tested negative for the coronavirus on Friday but an additional test came back Saturday after she was already on the bus with the team.
"The girls were on pins and needles. They broke down and cried," Kokomoor said. "We tapered ( for the meet). The girls had fast suits. We had a plan and we were planning on doing senior recognition at the diving break.
"It is very disappointing, it just is. But I told them to focus on the good things, the highlights of the season. I'm going to email the girls in a little while."