Staples and Weston excel at State Open swimming

Mission accomplished for both the Staples and Weston girls swimming teams.

Staples set a preseason goal of cracking the top 10 at the State Open championships and Weston, who won the Class S title four days earlier, is happy to see its ranks at State Open swell from previous years. The Lady Wreckers placed ninth at State Open with 219 points last Saturday at Yale University out of 47 teams and the Lady Trojans (93 points) was 19th.

"I was thrilled," said Staples Coach Mike Laux, who was not at the meet because he was sick. "For us, the season ended at States and this was another opportunity to swim and see if we can do better. Overall, the team achieved and exceeded its goals."

Weston Coach Tom Grace said, "The girls were spent after Class S finals and it's another meet. It's good to have the representation that we had. Class S schools usually don't have the depth to do well at both State finals and State Open and if I had to choose a meet to focus on, I'd choose finals any day of the week."

Greenwich (579.5) won and New Canaan (544) took second. Pomperaug (252) and Hall (246) and Hall placed seventh and eighth, respectively to edge the Lady Wreckers. Both teams had dominant swimmers, Elizabeth McDonald for Pomperaug and Jessie Ustjanauskas for Hall, who figured in half of their teams' points, tipped the balance in their teams' favor.

"We were really happy with a ninth-place finish because our goal was to come in the top 10," Staples senior captain Stephanie Nussbaum said. "The team spirit and the support we gave each other helped us do well."

Lady Wrecker senior captain Molly Loftus said, "That was awesome and we were excited. We had a good attitude going into Opens after coming off of Class LL."

The Lady Trojans qualified all three relay teams, which they didn't do in the past, and three girls swam in five individual events, another high watermark for them. From 2000-03, Weston didn't have anyone make it to State Open.

"It's hard for Class S schools to do well at Opens against schools like Greenwich," Lady Trojans senior co-captain Karen Bottger said. "I was very pleased because it was a good way to end the season. We had the most girls in my time at Opens and it's awesome to see so many [Weston] girls there. We're progressing nicely and I couldn't ask for a better ending."

Lady Wrecker freshman Verity Abel was the best performer from both schools. Abel dropped .02 second from Class LL in the 100-yard backstroke and set a school record by placing second with a time of 57.59. The junior Ustjanauskas (56.85) won the 100-back.

"I was really focused on the event because it's new to me," Abel said. "I worked on my turns and streamlines and I looked to see where the other swimmers are."

This isn't Abel's first school record. She is the record holder in the 100-yard butterfly and although she didn't eclipse her own standard in it, she still swam well and took fourth in the 100-fly (58.05).

"I had a little more difficulty because the walls are flat and I'm not used to it," Abel said. "I went all out and I tried to have a strong kick and maintain it throughout the race."

Abel was a part of a third Staples record being shattered by anchoring the 400-yard freestyle relay team (3:39.44) to seventh place.

"It's always fun and an honor to anchor it," Abel said. "All the girls tried as hard as possible and we wanted to set the record. We breathed as little as possible and had strong kicks."

Laux said, "It's exciting for them to have their best race in the final event in the final meet of the year."

Junior Gabby Wimer, sophomore Sarah Cooperman and Loftus preceded Abel.

"It feels awesome," Wimer said. "It was a team effort and everyone did what they were supposed to do. I was nervous because it was the last event and the last event of Molly's high school career and I wanted to do well. Having Sarah, Molly and Verity and the rest of the team cheer for me, helped."

Cooperman said, "We were all really excited because we knew how close we were to the record. The motivation helped us go out and swim fast."

Loftus said, "That was amazing and the best way to finish my high school career. It was our last shot and we were positive going into it. We didn't have too much pressure in it and we figured why not, we can break the record."

Weston took 17th in the 400-free relay with Bottger, sophomores Alex Edgar and Olivia Clark and freshman Katie Johnson.

Wimer, Nussbaum, Cooperman and Loftus powered the Lady Wrecker 200-yard freestyle relay team (1:42.66) to 10th place, a .20 improvement from Class LL (1:42.86).

"Everyone was motivated to swim and we wanted to make Mr. Laux proud and fulfill our goal for the season," Nussbaum said.

Freshman Dacia Gross, junior Katie Ledwick, Johnson and Bottger carried Weston's 200-free relay (1:44.45) to 17th place.

Staples senior captain Schaefer Andrews took 11th place in diving (340.20) last Friday at Hamden (held separately from swimming).

"I was really happy with what I did," Andrews said. "I was hoping to finish 10th and I was .15 short of it, but it was a competitive meet and I felt I held my own. I tried to have fun with the meet, which helped."

Bottger (1:56.77) and Loftus (1:58.88) placed seventh and 17th, respectively, in the 200-yard freestyle.

"I didn't have my best time but I wasn't bummed about it because I was more focused on Class S," Bottger said. "I was happy with the 200-free because I only added a second to it [from the Class S championship meet]."

Loftus wasn't pleased with her 200-free but rebounded by taking 13th in the 500-yard freestyle (5:13.55). Clark (5:19.92) and Bottger (5:21.97) were 23rd and 24th, respectively in the 500-free.

"I tried not to be focused on swims that weren't my best because I can't go back in time and change it," Loftus said.

Wimer dropped .51 seconds from Class LL in the 100-yard freestyle and placed 17th (54.85) in it.

"I was happy I moved up in the rankings, which was helpful to the team," Wimer said. "It's my first individual event at Opens, it's one of the fastest events and it was exciting to swim it."

Junior Caroline Valerio, freshman Gabby LeBlanc, Abel and Nussbaum carry the 200-yard medley relay team (1:56.37) to 14th place. Weston's 200-medley relay team of sophomore Lydia Sykes, Clark, Ledwick and Edgar took 20th (1:58.36). Clark finished 21st in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:10.69).

"It was a fun meet and a great way to end our season even though we didn't have our coach there," Nussbaum said. "Everyone stepped it up."