Team earns medals at league meet 

 

By JENNIFER GENTILE

WALTHAM—The Melrose-Stoneham girls swim team (“Stone-rose”) finished their 2024 fall season last week in a competition against the league’s best at the 2024 Middlesex League Meet held at Bentley College on October 24.

Stone-rose finished 8th at the Middlesex League Meet and medaled in all three of their relays.

Those relay medalists include:

Medley: Sara Myagmarjav, Marta Francis, Tierra Pornkittichotcharoen, Lizzy Lillis.

200 Free: Tierra Pornkittichotcharoen, Sara Myagmarjav, Marta Francis and Kara Sacco.

400 Free: Lillian Blenk, Julia Lanneville, Kara Sacco, Anna Pollica.

As they wrap up their season and eye a competitive 2025, they have much to learn from this fall.

Said Melrose coach Alex Pennachio, “I keep going back to our meet against Arlington-Watertown. In that meet almost every race was a best time and really showed the swimmers and myself how the commitment they were putting into practice was paying off in the form of best times at meets.”

But there were several Melrose swimmers who made great strides over the season. Notes Pennachio, “I was really impressed with freshman Anna Pollica and sophomores Tierra Pornkittichotcharoen and Marta Francis. They really took big stride not just in terms of dropping time, but in mindset and race strategy which is so important to taking their swimming to the next step and putting them into a good position for next season.”

This year Stone-Rose loses Melrose seniors that have left their mark in their ever-changing program. They include Kara Sacco, Sara Myagmarjav, Lucy O’Neill, Nora Mounsif, Rose Napoleon.

“During Senior Night I gave a speech that emphasized how important the seniors were this season to the first year of this Co-op. We were a new team, and they were the ones who established the new team culture from the ground up. They created an environment where the other swimmers wanted to come to practice and be part of the team, and the success of the team belongs to them more than it does to me.”

After one season of a Melrose-Stoneham collaboration coach DeRosa predicts a similar outlet next year.

“We will be a Co-op again next year. Our goals will be to build on the successes we had this season. Hopefully our numbers from both schools will continue to grow and that our times will continue to get faster.”