Warriors finish in top 10 at state swim meet

THE WARRIOR EIGHT had a great day at the Div. 2 state meet on Nov. 13 at MIT. Pictured from left to right is Angie Martinez, Mackenzie Grace, Sophie Seidman, Sam Marshall, Laila Atoui, Audrey Cook, Grace McHugh and Lucy Wagner. (Courtesy Photo)

CAMBRIDGE — The Wakefield High girls’ swim team had a terrific performance at the Div. 2 state meet held at MIT on Sunday, Nov. 13.

The Warriors finished 9^th out of the 16 teams in Div. 2 who qualified and competed in the state championships.

Wakefield had three relay teams compete and all three scored points — a combined 60 of the team’s 123.

The Warriors had plenty of individual success as well, including a 3^rd place, two 4^th places and a 6^th.

Leading the way in those individual events were junior Grace McHugh and sophomore Audrey Cook.

Cook placed 3^rd in the 100 yard breaststroke behind two seniors, Michell Li of Natick (1:07.84) and Diya Ackerman-Vallala of North Andover (1:05.84). Cook’s time of 1:09.88 earned 16 points for Wakefield.

Freshman Lucy Wagner also competed in the 100 breaststroke, taking 13^th in 1:14.45 to pick up 4 points. Wagner was the only freshman competing in the race.

Cook also placed 6^th in the 200 yard freestyle in a time of 2:02.11 for 13 points. She was the top sophomore in this event with the next closest being Mila Piatkov of Needham who placed 13^th in 2:08.71.

McHugh finished 4^th in two separate races, earning 30 points for the squad.

THE WARRIORS had two relay teams finish 7th overall at states on Nov. 13 at MIT. Pictured from left to right is Laila Atoui, Audrey Cook, Grace McHugh and Lucy Wagner, who teamed up to take 7th in the 200 medley and 400 free relays. All four competed in individual events as well. (Courtesy Photo)

She took 4^th in the 200 yard IM with a time of 2:16.39, the second junior just behind 3^rd place Elena Dudkina of Wellesley.

Wagner finished 18^th in the 200 IM in 2:27.80.

McHugh was just as strong in the 100 yard butterfly, taking 4^th in 1:01.47. She was the top junior in that event.

Sophomore Laila Atoui earned 17^th in the 100 fly in a time of 1:06.06.

Atoui also competed in the 100 yard backstroke, taking 17^th in a time of 1:05.35.

Wakefield had two relay teams finish with 24 points each by taking 7^th overall.

The 200 yard medley relay was 7^th in 1:57.17. That squad included Cook, McHugh, Atoui and Wagner. They finished ahead of Middlesex League teams Belmont (10^th) and Watertown (12^th) in that event.

The same four also later competed in the 400 yard freestyle relay. They got 7^th in 3:54.74.

The Warriors finished 11^th in the 200 yard freestyle relay in a time of 1:54.49 to earn 12 points. Competing in that relay were seniors Samantha Marshall and Sophie Seidman, along with junior Mackenzie Grace and freshman Angie Martinez.

Together, the Warriors made Wakefield proud, concluding a terrific season and a postseason in which the team continued to improve on times and build on successes that they will no doubt try to exceed for next season.