After an undefeated season where the Trumbull Pisces claimed their third consecutive Yankee League championship, they entered the Yankee League finals as somewhat of the underdog.
The Pisces sent 70 swimmers to trials in an attempt to qualify for the championship finals meet at West Haven High School on Feb. 23, where they had a tall task to overtake the host West Haven Wizards team and their squad of 130 swimmers.
Coach Bill Strickland had his team prepared for the challenge and they came extremely close overcoming the odds. The Pisces took second place for the tournament by a small margin behind West Haven. As a testament to the strength of their swimmers, the Pisces broke four league relay records and claimed 25 top three individual medals.
The Pisces took home more first place medals (13) than any other team and claimed top honors in the 11-12 girls’ division.
The Record Breakers:
The 13-14 girls’ team of Norah Hampford, Julia Nevins, Jackie Dale and Liz Stoelzel finished first and the broke the 200-medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay league records.
The 11-12 girls’ team of Sara Johnson, Loralai Dale Caitlyn Dale and Kristen Racicot set the 200-medley relay record.
The 11-12 girls’ team of Chloe Abelard, Loralai Dale, Caitlyn Dale and Kristen Racicot set the 200-freestyle relay record.
All four of the records were previously held by Pisces teams that had been set at the 2018 Yankee League championships.
Along with the four record-setting girls relay teams, the boys 13 and over 200-freestyle relay of Sri Vangeepuram, Lucas Taormina, Royce Thaner and Divjot Muchal took third place.
Taking home medals for top three in the individual events were:
First Place Winners
Alisha Mahendran (6) 25 breaststroke
Soham Sarkar (10) 100 individual medley
Loralai Dale (12) 100 freestyle
Daniel Gomes (12) 50 butterfly
Kristen Racicot (12) 200 freestyle & 200 individual medley
Norah Hampford (13) 100 backstroke
Sri Vangeepuram (13) 200 individual medley & 100 breaststroke
Elizabeth Stoelzel (14) 100 breaststroke & 50 freestyle
Jacqueline Dale (15) 100 butterfly
Julia Nevins (16) 100 breaststroke
Second Place
Julia Terry (7) 50 freestyle
Sarah Johnson (11) 50 backstroke
Caitlyn Dale (12) 50 butterfly
Jacqueline Dale (15) 200 individual medley
Julia Nevins (16) 50 freestyle
Third Place
Alexis Abellard (10) 50 freestyle
Chase Reynolds (11) 200 individual medley
Loralai Dale (12) 50 butterfly
Royce Thaner (13) 100 freestyle & 50 freestyle
Aaron Dressler (13) 100 butterfly
Lucas Taormina (13) 100 breaststroke