Wins 200 and 500 freestyles, also part of two 10th place relay teams
SHANNON QUIRK, a senior, captured two individual championships in the North Sectional meet as she won both the 200 and 500 freestyle events. (Donna Larsson File Photo)
WELLESEY — Senior Shannon Quirk showed the entire North Sectional field that she is the master of the freestyle at a shorter and a longer distance.
The Warrior standout captured two first place finishes in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle as she had a phenomenal performance at the North Sectional Swimming and Diving Championships which were held yesterday morning at Wellesley College’s Chandler Pool.
Quirk captured the title in a close 200 freestyle race. Quirk clocked in at 1:56.38 as she beat out Middlesex League rival, Lexington’s Jayne Vogalzang. Vogalzang posted a time of 1:56.46 as she pushed Quirk the entire way.
Quirk then went out and claimed first place in the 500 freestyle as she timed in at 5:05.51. Quirk beat out Andover’s Alison Murtagh who finished second in a time of 5:09.44 as the Warrior senior won her second North sectional championship with a bit of ease.
Wakefield also scored points in both the 200 and 400 freestyle relays.
The 200 freestyle relay team posted a 10th place finish with a time of 1:49.75. The four swimmers included junior Madison Guay, freshman Caroline Sweeney, junior Nicole Pecjo and Quirk.
The same four swimmers teamed up in the 400 freestyle relay. The quartet secured a 10th place with a time of 3:55.75.
In the team scoring portion of the meet, Wakefield scored 68 points for a 14th place finish overall.
Guay, Sweeney and Pecjo also qualified and swam individual events. Wakefield also had its 200 medley relay team compete in the meet.
The 200 medley relay team posted a 17th place finish in a time of 2:06.69. The four swimmers included senior co-captain Shannon Grady, Pecjo, senior co-captain Avery York and Sweeney.
Guay also swam the 200 freestyle and grabbed 19th place overall as she clocked in at 2:07.81. In addition, Guay finished 17th in the 100 butterfly in a time of 1:05.79.
Sweeney, making her debut at the North Sectional meet, swam the 100 freestyle and came in 32nd overall in a time of 1:00.37.
In the 100 breaststroke, Pecjo finished in 28th place as she touched in at 1:18.36.
“The girls swam amazing,” said Coach Kathy Byrne. “Shannon won the 200 and 500 free. All individual swimmers improved their times. The relays did wonderful, too. We placed 10th in the 200 and 400 free.”
The final meet of the season for the Warrior qualifiers will be the Div. II state meet this coming Sunday at 7:15 p.m. at Harvard University.
