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Sports

Champs! South County Girls Take Home Patriot District Swim and Dive Championship

Stallions use late push in backstroke, breaststroke to earn first ever swimming title

South County’s Girls Swim and Dive team finally broke the stranglehold Woodson and West Springfield had long held on the district as they also used a late push to take home the school’s first swimming championship. The Stallions trailed the Spartans by nine entering the 100 breaststroke, but Danielle Gemma, MacKenzie Walsh and freshman Brooke Malone earned 42 points and a 371-357 lead that held up with a second place finish in the 400 freestyle relay. Woodson’s girls took third as the final scores were 405-387-296.5.

Malone had a disappointing time in the 200 IM, but certainly made up for it when it mattered most by taking second in the breaststroke with a state qualifying time of 1:07.95.

“We swam very well. In the backstroke we were concerned, but three of the girls turned in personal bests,” South County coach Robert Jones said. “They came to win it, and they proved they were contenders this year.”

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Jones said entering Saturday, he had scored his Stallions as finishing 12 points behind West Springfield.

The Stallions also received strong efforts from Courtney Betro, who won the 100 free in 55.77, Alison Smith, who took second in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:00.84 and Stephanie Phillips, whose time of 25.74 was good for third in the 50 free. Walsh added a third place in the 200 IM, finishing in 2:14.94. On the boys side, Michael Herrmann won the 100 fly in 52.15.

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Woodson used an impressive showing in backstroke and breaststroke to pull away from West Springfield and win the 2011 Patriot District Boy’s Swim and Dive championship. The Cavaliers had staked an early lead when Matt Hubbard, Jake Retting, and Connor Shannon placed first, fourth and sixth in diving. Lake Braddock rounded out the top three as the final scores were 490-454-380.

West Springfield had chipped away at Woodson’s lead and trailed by just 13 points before the Cavaliers’ depth proved to be too much. Woodson picked up nine points in the 100 yard backstroke and 12 more in the 100 breaststroke, leaving the 400 freestyle relay as little more than a formality in earning its second straight district title.

“They were pumped up. They knew West Springfield was on their tail trying to regain the title, but our boys knew what they needed to do and they were ready to go,” Woodson coach Susie Hamrock said.

Both the Spartans and the Cavaliers distanced themselves from the competition during the 100 breaststroke as the teams combined to take the first eight places. Woodson’s Bo Ilgenfritz and Nate Pease finished one-two with times of 1:00.12 and 1:03.24.

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