Stingrays Swim Team place second at state meet

Another year, another state runner-up title for the Connecticut River Valley Stingrays swim team.

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Stingrays Swim Team place second at state meet August 23, 2017 SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Another year, another state runner-up title for the Connecticut River Valley Stingrays swim team. The Stingrays competed recently at the Vermont Swim Association state championship held at the Upper Valley Aquatic Center in White River Junction. The team finished second in division IV, only 30.5 points behind Waterbury swim team. This is the second year in a row the Stingrays placed second at the state swim meet. swimming Stingrays Swimmers gather between events at the 2017 Vermont Swim Association State Meet in Hartford, Vt. Photo provided. “I am so excited for our swim team here at the Edgar May Health and Recreation Center, said Christian Craig, executive director of the Edgar May Health and Recreation Center. “The team has grown by leaps and bounds over the past two years with new swimmers signing up each season. Not only are more kids being exposed to the great values of hard work, dedication, discipline, but the kids are having fun and their times are getting faster!” Two Stingrays were crowned state champions. Leading the team was Ari Cioffi. Cioffi won the 11-12 girls 50 and 100-yard freestyle. She won the 50 free with a personal best time of 27:02 and the 100 free with a time of 1:00:32. Cioffi was also runner up in the 11-12 girls 100-yard individual medley (25 yards of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and free) and the 50 yard fly. Team captain Sam Mirra won the girls 17-18 50-yard breaststroke with a personal best time of 33:18. She was state runner-up in the girls 17-18 100-yard breaststroke, fourth place in the 50 freestyle and fifth place in the 100 freestyle. Janie Thompson also placed in the top five in all her events. Thompson was runner-up in the girls 11-12 50-yard breaststroke and swam a personal best time of 36:47. She finished third in the girls 11-12 50-yard butterfly and the 100 breaststroke and fourth in the 100 yard individual medley. The other highlight of the meet were the girls’ 9-10 100-yard medley and freestyle relays. Three out of four of their relays were heat winners. The girls 9-10 100-yard medley relay, comprising Niavh Gibney (backstroke), Alyson Lantz (breast), Savannah Rose (fly) and Rowan Caulkins (free), won their heat and improved their best relay time by six seconds (1:39:75 to 1:33:62). swimming The girls 9-10 100 yard medley relay, comprising from right to left, Niavh Gibney (backstroke), Alyson Lantz (breast), Savannah Rose (fly) and Rowan Caulkins (free), won their heat and improved their best relay time by six seconds (1:39:75 to 1:33:62). Photo provided. The following day, the girls’ 9-10 100-yard freestyle A and B relays won their heats, back-to-back, in spectacular fashion. The girls B relay comprised Ruby Kiefer, Lexi Dole, Rose and their anchor Aubrey Seman. The B relay won their heat and crushed their seed time by 23 seconds (1:55:55 to 1:32:70). The A relay comprised Sarah DeLorenzo, Gibney, Lantz and their anchor Rowan Caulkins. The A relay also won and beat their seed time by four seconds. (1:21:41 to 1:17:85). The following swimmers swam personal best times at the state meet: Lexi Dole (25 free, 50 free); Sarah DeLorenzo (25 free, 25 back); Niavh Gibney (25 free, 50 free); Joey Sluka (25 free, 50 free); Thomas Anderson (25 free, 50 free); Aubrey Seman (25 back); Ari Cioffi (50 fly, 50 free, 100 free); Janie Thompson (50, 100 breast, ); Sam Mirra (50 breast, 100 breast, 100 free); Haley Raciot (100 free, 50 back, 50 free) ; Miles Garvin (100 free); Dylan Burrow (50 free, 100 free, ) and Gwen Roundy (50 free, 100 back, 200 free). Other Stingrays that had a fantastic season include: Charlie Kiefer, Ariana and Elisabeth DeLorenzo, Caleigh Plunkett, Gunnar Thibideau, Aloura Cyr and Hazel Kekic. The Stingrays were coached by Christian Avard and assistants Sam Holmberg and Kristin Burlew. Interesting in joining the swim team? Call the Edgar May Health and Recreation Center at 802-885-2568.