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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
On Friday, boys and girls from all across the region competed in the Ehrlich Mile Swim at Dug Pong in Natick, including representatives from the Walpole Barracudas, Sherborn Snappers, Medfield Marlins, Needham Sharks, and Westwood Waves of the Suburban Summer Swim League. The event, which is often thought of as being one of, if not the biggest swim meet of the summer for local adolescent swimmers, consists of 50-plus competitors from 12 different towns, and is a sight that outweighs almost all summer swim meets due to the sheer number of competitors, onlookers, and supporters it draws annually.
Beneath all of that splashing water is around 50 of the area’s top youth female swimmers fighting for positioning at the beginning of the Ehrlich Mile Swim. Photos by Michael Flanagan
Howard said afterwards that the race took a lot out of her, but despite all of the sweat and soreness, it was an extremely fulfilling experience.
“I had to make sure I didn’t try too hard early and tire myself out,” said Howard. “It was hard but it felt great winning.”
In the boys’ race, a strong surge by Henry Keegan (21:19.72) in the final quarter-mile brought him an individual first-place finish and completion of a first-place sweep for Needham, as Keegan finished three seconds ahead of Natick’s Jordan Arnold (21:22.62).
Needham head coach Kate Curtin praised her group for the efforts they gave throughout both races.
“We don’t have the biggest team, but we have some incredible distance swimmers,” said Curtin. “Our main goal was to collectively compete as a group, and I couldn’t be prouder of the way Henry, Zoei, and all of our swimmers competed this afternoon.”
Framingham won first place in overall scoring while Needham finished fourth, Walpole sixth, Medfield eighth, Sherborn tenth, and Westwood at eleven.
