Season recap: Girls’ swim team has bright future

Photo By Rebekah Lockery // The girls' swimming team in a team photo.

The Westhill-Stamford High girls’ swim and dive team kicked off their season in early September. With an impressive roster boosted with the talent of new freshmen, returning sophomores and seasoned upperclassmen, the team has experienced their best season in recent years. Their coach, Rick Lewis, who has been with both the boy’s and girl’s swimming teams for years, feels very satisfied with this season. “A record number of girls qualified for FCIACs and states,” said Coach Lewis.

Westhill-SHS started the season strong, winning their first three meets. They defeated Fairfield Warde 101-76 in their first meet, then won against Trumbull 103-83 a week later. The team hit a road block though, losing their next four in a row.

In a slump, Coach Lewis called the team together to motivate them. After a much needed pep talk, they defeated Fairfield Ludlowe 100-86. Rebekah Lockery and Dominika Brice made their presence known during the meet with strong performances. Lockery won the 100 breaststroke and Brice won the 200 yard free-style. Unfortunately, they fell to Greenwich in their last meet of the season on October 19th. The team went 4-5 during the regular season.

“Because a bulk of the team is sophomores, we don’t have as much experience as we will in years to come. With a couple of good freshmen, I think that in a few years, the team will be really strong. I’m excited to see how the championship season plays out” said sophomore Amanda Conte. As for the students graduating, October 19th was their last meet as a student at Westhill. “These girls are like family for me. My four years have gone by so fast. I thought when I was a freshmen that high school would go by slow. But it’s been a wonderful journey” said senior Rachel Burston. Burston has been an outstanding diver during her four years here. The swimming team definitely has a bright future ahead of them.