The Dover Sherborn girls swim team entered the MIAA South Sectional Championship with high expectations after finishing second in 2025 and they achieved their goal of taking first place by securing an impressive 235 points. This victory marked the program’s first time claiming the top spot since becoming an independent team. The Raiders were guided by senior captains Nora Olson, Vivian Ma and Clara Lombard whose leadership established the tone during the season and especially during the championship meet.
The team's relay performances were key to their overall success. Olson, Lombard and sophomores Raina Wu and Dakota Callahan took first place in the 200 freestyle relay and finished in second place in the 400 free relay. The 200 medley relay team finished in fourth place and was comprised of Olson, senior Alison Sham, sophomore Norah Yang and freshman Katherine Zhang.
Individually, Raina Wu was a standout, winning the 100 free and placing fourth in the 100 backstroke. Senior Abigail Kube contributed with a fourth place finish in diving, while Callahan placed second in the 200 free and fourth in the 500 free. Norah Yang earned third place in the 100 breaststroke, and Katherine Zhang finished eighth in the 100 butterfly. Additional notable performances came from Vivian Ma in the 100 breaststroke and freshman Emma Cogswell, who competed in the 200 individual medley and the 500 free.
The team’s success was a testament to the dedication and teamwork of all involved. Coach Carly Eckles remarked, “The girls set the goal of winning sectionals at the end of last season and that set the tone for the start of the season. These girls make my job fun when they are this invested in the success of their team. There is a big group of this post season team who have siblings who swam for DSSD over the past 11 years; they’ve lived through the ups and downs and rebuilding that is required for the success we’ve found the past two years. The team wouldn’t be where we are without the current athletes, the alumni, the parents, or school.”
