By Avonlea Cummings
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
Energetic cheers filled the Babson College Morse Swimming Pool on Tuesday, September 12, as the Needham Swim and Dive team hosted the Walpole Timberwolves for their inaugural swim meet of the 2023-2024 season. Comprising seven freshmen, five sophomores, two juniors, and seven seniors, the Needham Swim and Dive team displayed remarkable confidence and excitement for the season ahead. The Rockets secured a resounding victory with a final score of 87-48, marking a successful start to their league matches for the season.
Under the guidance of captains Lucy Mackey, Sophie Guarrera, Ori Fux, and head coach Kate Curtin, the Rockets aim to build on their impressive achievements from the previous season, where they secured second place at the Baystate Conference, South Sections, and Division II States in 2022.
Head coach Curtin expressed her delight at the team's strong start to the season and harbors high expectations for their performance in the coming matches.
“I think the meet went really well. It’s our first meet of the season so we were trying to do new things and giving really strong performances. The team came out of it feeling very excited about the rest of the season. A lot of people were getting their personal best times, and since it was only our first meet, I think it set excitement for our next one,” said Curtin.
Needham showcased their dominance by securing first place in every event against Walpole. Seven swimmers successfully qualified for states, including Julia Shulman in the 100 freestyle, Lucy Aswad in her debut diving performance, Kylie O'Hearn in the 500 freestyle, and Sophie Guarrera in the 100 butterfly stroke.
Furthermore, seven athletes from Needham's team also qualified for sectionals, with Becky Hwang excelling in the 50 freestyle, Paige Ingrando demonstrating prowess in the 100 breaststroke, and Mila Piatkov earning her place in the 200 freestyle.
Curtin highlighted the strong camaraderie among the senior class, emphasizing its positive impact on the Rockets' success.
“We have a very strong senior class, we have one senior that moved to Needham from New Hampshire, and the rest of our returning seniors were a part of our team last year. They are really strong athletes, but they are also such a close-knit group that all care about the team and want to succeed,” said Curtin.
Needham will travel to compete against Braintree High at the Blue Hills Regional Technical School Pool on Tuesday, September 26, with the event commencing at 5:30 p.m.
