Warriors creating own energy during virtual competitions
Published March 24, 2021
By DAN BYRNE
MALDEN—It has certainly been an unusual year in High School sports and no sport has seen more upheaval in the way they compete than the sport of swimming.
It was supposed to be a Fall full of great achievements for the Wakefield High girls’ swim team, but as we are all well aware, life has taken many unexpected turns since the Warriors last got into the pool in 2019.
Social distancing requirements have made in-person swim meets a total impossibility, and like so many other aspects of our daily lives, have turned virtual.
Imagine competing against yourself, against theoretical opponents that you can’t see, can’t look at, can’t congratulate post-race.
It’s all on these girls to get their game faces on, get in the zone, and put down their best times. It’s the new world, but leave it to the Warriors to make it work.
Now, we’ve entered “Fall 2”, and the girls are back in action with some adjustments. A pool area free of spectators, intro’s and entrance music, a live stream of the meet available on-line; it’s all the new wave of Wakefield swimming for 2021 and the team is already living up to their expectations.
This year’s team is without a doubt one of, if not the strongest in the tenure of longtime Warriors’ head coach Kathy Byrne, with so many talented swimmers returning from last year’s team.
With everything finally sorted out in the procedure of conducting a swim meet, the Warriors hit the pool to begin their Fall 2 season on March 11 when they virtually swam Melrose.
Their season continued last Thursday, March 18, when the girls submitted times for their second meet against Burlington.
Burlington didn’t swim their meet versus Wakefield until Saturday, thus a period of limbo existed where Wakefield didn’t know the outcome of the meet.
With expectations high, it’s no surprise that both meets have been a major success.
In the first two meets, Wakefield is virtually undefeated.
In every single event.
With 22 events swam, and 22 first place finishes, the Warriors stand at a perfect 2-0 on the season.
Against Melrose, the Warriors’ 200 Yard Medley team of Grace McHugh, Emily Chan, Katie Patt, and Abby Lane swam to a first place finish with a time of 2:06.66. Against Burlington, Katie Patt, Emily Chan, Abby Lane, and Hannah Guay dropped the time down to 2:04.82.
Hannah Guay took home 1st place in the 200 Yard Freestyle against Melrose with a 2:05.08 while Laura Sweeney swam the event against Burlington with a 1st place time of 2:07.52.
In the 200 Yard individual medley, Grace McHugh took 1st place against Melrose with a time of 2:26.61. She improved to 2-0 in the event with a 1st place time against Burlington as well. Alyssa Toppi and Emily Chan took 2nd and 3rd place against Melrose, while Hannah Morris and Sam Colliton claimed the runners up spots against Burlington.
Hannah Guay swam a 0:27.09 for 1st place in the 50 Yard Freestyle against Melrose, while Laura Sweeney took 1st against Burlington with a 0:26.46.
Katie Patt swam a 1:04.9 in the 100 Yard Butterfly to take 1st place against Melrose, then dropped her time to 1:04.59 in her first place effort against Burlington.
Against Melrose in the 100 Yard Freestyle, Hannah Guay’s time of 0:58.78 saw her take 1st place. Laura Sweeney took 1st place in the event against Burlington with a time of 0:58.95.
Sophie Brown took home 1st place in the 500 Yard Freestyle against Melrose, coming in at a time of 6:03.41. Alyssa Toppi swam to a 1st place finish in the same event against Burlington, posting a time of 6:00.13.
Laura Sweeney, Emily Chan, Alyssa Toppi and Hannah Guay swam to a 1st place effort in the 200 Yard Freestyle relay with a time of 1:51.37 against Melrose. Katie Patt, Sophie Brown, Abby Lane and Laura Sweeney competed in the event against Burlington and swam a time of 1:56.71.
Katie Patt swam a 1:05.08 in the 100 Yard Backstroke against Melrose to claim 1st place. Hannah Guay swam a 1:05.4 against Burlington taking home 1st place honors for the Warriors.
Laura Sweeney won the 100 Yard Breaststroke against Melrose with a time of 1:13.77. Katie Patt came in 1st place against Burlington with a time of 1:19.91.
In the final event, the 400 Yard Free Relay, the Warriors took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in both meets. Against Melrose, Hannah Guay, Abby Lane, Katie Patt and Laura Sweeney made up the relay team that swam a 4:03.76 to take 1st place. Against Burlington, 1st place went to the team consisting of Mackenzie Grace, Hannah Morris, Sophie Seidman and Alyssa Toppi as they swam in at 4:29.56.
With the first two meets behind them, the Warriors’ record stands at 2-0 to start the season.
Warrior head coach Kathy Byrne had this to say recently about the new season:
“It was just a different way to do things. I was very pleased with all the girls’ performances, everybody swam hard, it’s hard to swim without an opponent swimming next to you, but you’re swimming against your team so that’s not a bad thing either.”
Byrne went on to praise the leadership of the team’s seniors.
“The seniors really swam everything as hard as they could, as best they could. We’ve only been in the water a couple of weeks, but the team looks strong,” she added.
Byrne talked about the creative ways the team has come up with to make meets seem more special.
“We’re adjusting to virtual swim meets and adjusting to socially distanced practices, with masks and in the water being socially distanced; it’s hard.”
It’s been a promising couple of weeks to start the season and coach Byrne is pleased with the way things have turned out so far.
“The team has really embraced it and are making the best of it. We had music on, we were announcing every swimmer when they stepped up to the block, we live streamed it, just to do some little things to make it seem more like a meet.
“I think overall it turned out very well, considering the limitations and we won the meet, so even better!”
Wakefield will swim their next meet tomorrow, March 25 as they set times against Stoneham, with the results to be announced once both teams have submitted their times.
