Andover swims to North title
When it comes to legendary teams in Massachusetts, you always have to include the Andover girls swimming program among the ranks.
That fact was only reinforced on Saturday. The Warriors rallied from behind, before holding off a late surge in the pool by Reading to capture their eighth consecutive North sectional title, and their seventeenth since 1999.
“This is not easy,” Warriors senior captain Zoe Nepomnayshy said. “This has been a really challenging year, overcoming things within the team, overcoming things out that are not on the team. And we all came together and supported each other. It is the most amazing thing.”
Despite trying circumstances, such as health-related problems and injuries that left them shorthanded, nothing has fazed this Andover senior class, who won their 59th straight meet with 411 points.
It was clear which teams stood out early. Reading got the day started setting a meet record in the 200 medley relay, as Molly Hamlin, Anna Roberts, Samantha Braback and Alana Loughman combined for a time of 1:47.19, besting a mark set in 2010 by .57 seconds.
Julia Donahue provided the first victory for Andover in the 200 IM, finishing first at 2:04.53.
For most of the meet, it appeared that Andover’s streak could be in jeopardy. That was until junior Eliza Williams stepped up big for the Warriors, posting a time of 5:15.13 in the 500 freestyle, which drew them neck and neck with Reading with four events remaining.
“We always know the other teams’ times or strengths,” Andover coach Marilyn Fitzgerald said. “And I played our strength against what we consider their weakness. For instance in the 200 IM, we scored a slew of points, and even went ahead for a bit after that. We so to speak loaded it. Same thing we did on the back and the fly. The breaststroke was an amazing race, both teams were really equal, and then the 500, we scored a lot of points. There isn’t a single event where we didn’t score. You can’t win this meet unless you’re scoring in every event.”
Up 17 points entering the final event, Andover’s team of Donahue, Jordan Clements, Mia Galat and Molly Hamlin finished at 3:33.76, second to Reading (3:33.02), but it was more than enough to clinch the championship.
If Andover wins next weekend at All-States, they would earn their eighth state title in a decade. Fitzgerald is confident her seniors can cap their careers in style.
“They’ve now won four non-sectional meets, and when they win next weekend, it will be their fourth state championship, so they will have gone their whole four years undefeated,” she said.