By Ken Chaisson
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
In Walpole, when you hear "swimming," the name "Cheryl Cavanaugh" comes to mind.
Coach Cheryl founded the Walpole High School Swim Team in 1989, following her establishment of the Walpole youth swim programs back in 1974. From teaching beginners to coaching state champions, she has shaped generations of swimmers in the community. Her team practices and holds home meets at Blue Hills Regional High School.
On Wednesday, October 16, 2024, the Walpole High School swim team faced off against the undefeated Ursuline Academy at the Dedham Town Pool.
While Ursuline Academy is an all-girls school, Walpole’s team features both boys and girls. Since there aren't enough boys to form a separate team for the winter season, they swim alongside the girls in the fall. Although boys' individual times can qualify them for sectional and state meets, their points don't count toward the overall team score during dual meets.
Ursuline fielded a team of 30 swimmers and divers, while Walpole had a smaller but determined squad of five female swimmers. The six-lane, 25-yard pool provided an even playing field. Walpole’s captains, Avneesh Shenoy and Charlotte O’Malley, are versatile swimmers who compete in multiple events.
Walpole's two divers performed admirably, with junior Leyla Le qualifying for sectionals in one-meter diving. Sophomore Daniel Li competed in both diving and swimming events. In recent years, Walpole has produced two state champion divers who continued to compete at Division I colleges.
Most of the Walpole team has qualified for the Division 2 sectionals, and several have met the standards for the state competition. Each meet provides an opportunity to improve personal bests and secure better seeding for postseason tournaments.
Shenoy and sophomore Maddie Shea have already qualified for multiple events at both sectionals and states, having medaled in 2023. Other state qualifiers include Spencer Byerly, Mayank Shah, and Caisa Byerly, while Cashian Diamond secured a spot in sectionals as part of a relay team.
During the meet against Ursuline, four Walpole athletes set personal records: junior Leyla Le in diving, Nakita Malyshev in the 100-yard freestyle, Faith Cullen in the 100-yard backstroke, and Daniel Li in the 100-yard breaststroke, which is known to be the most challenging stroke.
Walpole has two important league meets coming up against Milton at Blue Hills and Weymouth at Westwood High School. These meets are key opportunities for athletes to improve their times and dive scores ahead of larger competitions.
The Bay State Conference championship and sectional meets continue through late October, with the state championship scheduled for early November.
