RallyNorth.net

Andover Golden Warriors Girls Swimming '18

Sun, Nov 18, 2018 09:00 AM @ Chelmsford
Team Final
Andover 1
Chelmsford 0

Andover wins fifth straight Division 1 state title

  • Currently 0.0 with 0 votes.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Friday, November, 23 By Gaudette

BOSTON — 60 straight meet wins for the seniors. Five straight Division 1 state championships for the program.

There has been no stopping the Andover swimming dynasty the past five years — the past two decades, really — and there was no way that was ending Sunday morning.

Swimming from Harvard’s Blodgett Pool, Andover blitzed the field yet again. The Warriors won seven of 12 events, finishing with a dominating 518 points for the program’s fifth straight Division 1 state title and 16th in the last 20 years. Second-place Acton-Boxboro finished in a distant second with 224 points, and Newton North was third with 206.5 points.

Haverhill (158 points) finished seventh out of 15 scoring teams.

“It feels as good as the first one did in 1999,” said legendary Andover swim coach Marilyn Fitzgerald, who at 76 is showing no signs of slowing down. “This makes 60 straight wins for this group of seniors. They won all their duel meets, they won four league championships, four North sectionals and four state championships, so that in itself is pretty awesome.

“But, all you have to do is look at the seed times and then look at the times they actually accomplished today. It was simply phenomenal.”

Besides the seven event wins, Andover had two seconds, two thirds and a fifth.

Seniors Victoria Ambrose, Julia Donahue and Mia Galat all had three event wins for the Warriors.

Ambrose, who won the 100 freestyle as a junior last year, started her day winning the 200 IM in 2:04.24. She beat her seed time by over six seconds, and just barely edged out Donahue who finished in 2:04.29. Teammate Emily Clements, who won the event last year, came in fourth (2:06.77).

“I can’t describe it,” said Ambrose. “Being able to swim it with all three of my teammates in the same heat really drove me. Julia, Emily and Lauren (Bessette) have always pushed me. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Not satisfied with just one gold medal, Ambrose took to the 500 freestyle and, quite simply, dominated. Her winning time of 5:05.50 beat her seed time by over a remarkable 15 seconds, and was nearly nine seconds faster than junior teammate Eliza Williams, who placed second (5:14.01).

Ambrose ended her fantastic day as the opening leg of the winning 4x400 relay team along with Donahue, Galat and Clements.

“I haven’t touched that (500) time since freshman year,” said Ambrose. “It’s crazy to even think that I just did that.”

GALAT REPEATS IN BUTTERFLY

After helping her Warriors get off to a fast start with a win in the first event, the 200 medley relay, Galat made sure her 100 butterfly title wasn’t going anywhere.

She won the event a year ago in 56.98, and blitzed the field on Sunday with a meet-record time of 56.03. She also was part of the winning 4x400 relay team (3:39.49), and finished second in the 200 freestyle (1:53.11).

“It was really good,” said Galat. “I was seeded second at the (North) sectionals meet and I came in second there. But it was good to come back and have a week to fix my technique. Obviously it worked really well, so I’m pretty happy.”

Andover’s other winners were Donahue in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.74) and senior Sydney Ho in the diving (460.65).

KNIGHTS FROSH AMUAN A STAR

A star has been born in North Andover, and her name is Malia Amuan.

The freshman burst onto the scene Sunday morning, and in a huge way. She started in the second event of the day, the 200 freestyle, and took home gold with a meet-record time of 1:50.55.

She beat the talented Galat by nearly three seconds, and Methuen’s Kara Davidson, who came in third (1:58.75).

“I was expecting to drop some time but that was still a surprise,” said Amuan. “I’m really happy. My goal was to break 1:50, but I mean I was really happy with what I did.”

But the freshman was just getting started.

Later in the day, Amuan took to the pool in the 100 freestyle with the meet record holder, Emily Clements, in the lane right next to her.

Not a problem.

Amuan set the new meet record with a time of 52.23, beating Clements by over a second. If you’re keeping track, that’s two state titles with two meet-record times in her state championship debut.

“I’m really happy with what I was able to do,” said Amuan.

Girls Swimming

Division 1 State Swim Meet

Division 1 State Championship

Meet results (15 teams scored): 1. Andover 518; 2. Acton-Boxboro 224; 3. Newton North 206.5; ... 7. Haverhill 158; ... 12. North Andover 70; 13. Methuen 63

Winners and local placers (top 8):

200 medley relay: 1. Emila Ma, Julia Donahue, Mia Galat, Emily Clements (A) 1:50.06, 4. Taylor Waligora, Katelyn Quinlan, Meaghan Driscoll, Carli Quinlan (H); 200 freestyle: 1. Malia Amuan (NA) 1:50.55, 2. Mia Galat (A) 1:53.11, 3. Kara Davidson (M) 1:58.75, 5. Eliza Wiliams (A) 1:59.26; 200 IM: 1. Victoria Ambrose (A) 2:04.24, 2. Donahue (A) 2:04.29, 4. Emily Clements (A) 2:06.77, 6. Lauren Bessette (A) 2:15.25;

50 freestyle: 1. Zoei Howard (Needham) 24.58, 5. Polina Malinovskaya (A) 25.88, 6. Emily Chen (A) 25.94; Diving: 1. Sydney Ho (A) 460.65, 3. Cailey Simard (H) 409.90; 100 butterfly: 1. Galat (A) 56.03, 3. Jordan Clements (A) 59.88, 4. Bessette (A) 1:00.74, 5. Driscoll (H) 1:01.27; 100 freestyle: 1. Amuan (NA) 52.23, 2. E. Clements (A) 53.41, 7. Chen (A) 55.89, 8. Ma (A) 56.30;

500 freestyle: 1. Ambrose (A) 5:05.50, 2. Williams (A) 5:14.01, 4. Davidson (M) 5:19.62, 5. Charlotte Moulson (A) 5:22.11, 6. Waligora (H) 5:25.67; 200 freestyle relay: 1. Nina Yee, Abigail Thress, Emilia Higgins, Howard (Needham) 1:41.46, 3. J. Clements, Ma, Chen, Ambrose (A) 1:42.42;

100 backstroke: 1. Isabella Korbly (Acton-Boxboro) 55.28, 3. Ma (A) 1:01.23, 5. Andrea Pantazi (A) 1:01.89; 100 breaststroke: 1. Donahue (A) 1:05.74, 3. Driscoll (H) 1:08.67, 4. J. Clements (A) 1:08.80, 7. K. Quinlan (H) 1:09.70; 400 freestyle relay: 1. Ambrose, Donahue, Galat, E. Clements (A) 3:39.49, 8. C. Quilan, K. Quinlan, Waligora, Driscoll (H) 3:48.46

Game Statistics:

Division 1 State Championship

Meet results (15 teams scored): 1. Andover 518; 2. Acton-Boxboro 224; 3. Newton North 206.5; ... 7. Haverhill 158; ... 12. North Andover 70; 13. Methuen 63

Winners and local placers (top 8):

200 medley relay: 1. Emila Ma, Julia Donahue, Mia Galat, Emily Clements (A) 1:50.06, 4. Taylor Waligora, Katelyn Quinlan, Meaghan Driscoll, Carli Quinlan (H); 200 freestyle: 1. Malia Amuan (NA) 1:50.55, 2. Mia Galat (A) 1:53.11, 3. Kara Davidson (M) 1:58.75, 5. Eliza Wiliams (A) 1:59.26; 200 IM: 1. Victoria Ambrose (A) 2:04.24, 2. Donahue (A) 2:04.29, 4. Emily Clements (A) 2:06.77, 6. Lauren Bessette (A) 2:15.25; 50 freestyle: 1. Zoei Howard (Needham) 24.58, 5. Polina Malinovskaya (A) 25.88, 6. Emily Chen (A) 25.94; Diving: 1. Sydney Ho (A) 460.65, 3. Cailey Simard (H) 409.90; 100 butterfly: 1. Galat (A) 56.03, 3. Jordan Clements (A) 59.88, 4. Bessette (A) 1:00.74, 5. Driscoll (H) 1:01.27; 100 freestyle: 1. Amuan (NA) 52.23, 2. E. Clements (A) 53.41, 7. Chen (A) 55.89, 8. Ma (A) 56.30; 500 freestyle: 1. Ambrose (A) 5:05.50, 2. Williams (A) 5:14.01, 4. Davidson (M) 5:19.62, 5. Charlotte Moulson (A) 5:22.11, 6. Waligora (H) 5:25.67; 200 freestyle relay: 1. Nina Yee, Abigail Thress, Emilia Higgins, Howard (Needham) 1:41.46, 3. J. Clements, Ma, Chen, Ambrose (A) 1:42.42; 100 backstroke: 1. Isabella Korbly (Acton-Boxboro) 55.28, 3. Ma (A) 1:01.23, 5. Andrea Pantazi (A) 1:01.89; 100 breaststroke: 1. Donahue (A) 1:05.74, 3. Driscoll (H) 1:08.67, 4. J. Clements (A) 1:08.80, 7. K. Quinlan (H) 1:09.70; 400 freestyle relay: 1. Ambrose, Donahue, Galat, E. Clements (A) 3:39.49, 8. C. Quinlan, K. Quinlan, Waligora, Driscoll (H) 3:48.46

0 Story Comments