By Avonlea Cummings
Hometown Weekly Sports Reporter
Echoes of cheers rang against the four walls of the Westwood High swimming pool as the Westwood swim team and the Dover-Sherborn swim team came together for the mid-January swim meet. The teams went head-to-head against one another in multiple heats, displaying skills, determination, and speed. As for the boys Westwood swimmers, they would come out on top in the evening’s competition winning the meet 82-56, and the girls’ team for the Wolverines came up just short of the Raiders 84-96.
The Wolverines were swift and agile in the pool breaking many personal records for a multitude of swimmers. Head coach Mary Holt-Wilson shared her thoughts on the team’s success, and how the team has been preparing for the match-up against D-S.
“Well in general we have been working really hard on our starts and our turns, and our strokes. We are trying to make sure the technique is going to propel them to their best, we work hard every day, but there’s only so much manpower you can put in, you only improve when you get those starts, turns, and strokes. We’ve been working hard on that and both the girls and the boys were so much better tonight than they had been they really had a strong showing tonight. I know the girls didn’t win, but we are really happy with how they did, there were a lot of personal bests. It’s exciting,” said Holt-Wilson.
Working alongside head coach Holt-Wilson is assistant coach Allie Cuccoli a 2012 Westwood swim alum. Both coaches shared excitement for the Wolverine’s achievements for the meet and Holt-Wilson highlighted a few.
“We had a couple of really great swims, we had one of our senior captains Vivian Bean, and she has been working all season to break three minutes in the 200 IM, and she dropped four seconds tonight making her time 2:56, which was exciting. Abbie Phu has been working all season to bring her breaststroke time down, and she dropped two seconds, making her time 1:25. One of our boys Jack Stuehler, went to a 24 flat in the 50 free relay off the blocks which was phenomenal. He’s a junior now and gets faster every year, he’s on the cusp of sectionals which is exceptional,” said Holt-Wilson.
Holt-Wilson would also go on to share that senior captain Julia Owens hit her personal best in the 100 breaststroke and 500 free as well. Alongside Owens, Vincent Willits broke under a minute for his 100 free. All of the hard work and determination from the Wolverines was celebrated at the end of the meet as both teams came together and cheered concluding the evening’s competition.
Westwood will swim next at the TVL swim and dive showcase on Sunday, January 28th at 3 PM.
