Warriors conclude fantastic season with strong performance at States

By DAN BYRNE

CAMBRIDGE— On Sunday, the Wakefield Memorial High School girls’ varsity swim team competed in their final meet of the season, the Division 2 State Championships at MIT.

The Warriors concluded their record-setting season with a 6th place out of 20, scoring 155 points and out-swimming Middlesex League opponents Winchester, Belmont, Woburn, Burlington, Melrose, and Stoneham at Division 2 States.

Wakefield sent a team of eight girls, who had posted times fast enough to qualify during official meets throughout the season in individual events as well as the relay events.

Warriors head coach Kathy Byrne spoke recently about her team’s accomplishments at MIT.

“I think that was a pretty fabulous showing in a state meet,” said Byrne, noting that finishing 6th with only eight girls is not an easy task.

Wakefield had Hannah Guay, Emily Chan, Katie Patt, and Laura Sweeney swim in the 200 Yard Medley Relay and the Warriors claimed 6th place.

Alyssa Toppi and Sophie Brown competed in the 200 Yard Freestyle.

Hannah Guay set a new school record, breaking her own she set at North Sectionals the week prior in the 200 Yard IM bringing her time down from a 2:52.90 to a 2:52.52, while claiming a 3rd place finish.

Laura Sweeney swam the 50 Yard Freestyle.

Katie Patt and Abby Lane competed in the 100 Yard Butterfly finishing 6th and 9th respectively.

Abby Federici swam for the Warriors in the 100 Yard Freestyle.

Hannah Guay and Alyssa Toppi represented Wakefield in the 500 Yard Freestyle with Guay taking home 4th place.

In the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay, Federici, Patt, Sweeney and Guay swam for the Warriors.

In the 100 Yard Backstroke
the Warriors were represented by Katie Patt who’s time placed her in 5th.

Laura Sweeney and Emily Chan swam the 100 Yard Breaststroke, with Sweeney taking 6th place and Chan the final point-scoring spot in the event.

Finally, Abby Federici, Abby Lane, Sophie Brown, and Alyssa Toppi swam the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay in the meet’s last event.

“Everybody performed fabulously,” said coach Byrne. “They are a championship team, and I’m very proud of that.”

She continued, noting, “It’s a hard thing do to, going one week after the next, and hitting your best times, or making them better, and that’s what they did again.

“I’m proud of all the hard work they’ve done, and I’m very proud of how they came out and swam tough and raced hard against their competition. It was a strong finish for our season and I’m very proud of this group.”

When she broke down the meet the coach said, “Our relays really did a great job, the splits in the relays were very good. Alyssa Toppi and Sophie Brown both broke a minute in their 400 relay splits, and both Abby’s swam close to their personal best times, if not their best times – that’s where you want to be at the end of the season.”

“Hannah Guay broke her 200IM record she set last week at sectionals, and Katie Patt had a great meet,” added Byrne.

The coach couldn’t overstate how proud she was of her team, as she wrapped up she beamed, “They swam like champions.”

It was the culmination of the time, the hard work and effort to compete and continually improve throughout the season that shone through in one of, if not the number one highest ever finishing position at states for the Warrior girls’ swim team.