Lady swimmers dominate Franklin, edged by Sharon
By Jay Turner
Freshman Shannon McLaughlin has had an outstanding debut season. (Mike Barucci photo)
After delivering several top-notch individual performances but struggling to get over the hump as a team, the Canton High girls’ swim team came through with a dominant 99-66 victory over Franklin last Friday at home. It was the Bulldogs’ third win of the season, and it came just two days after their encouraging effort in a razor-thin loss to Sharon.
“We just had some fabulous swims,” head coach Lori Mooney said of their win over the Panthers, which included several 1-2-3 finishes.
Once again showing their depth, the Bulldogs swept the top three spots in the 200-yard freestyle behind Brianna Duserick (2:27), Emily Breviglia (2:32.3), and Rachel McHugh (2:32.7). Breviglia and McHugh then repeated the effort in the 50 free, finishing second and third behind fellow Canton swimmer Kim Frazier.
The Bulldogs also took home the top three spots in two other events: the 100-yard freestyle behind Shannon McLaughlin, Julia Guerini, and Alison McHugh, and the 100-yard backstroke behind Alison McHugh, Zarina Brune, and Isobel Heck.
Other top performers included Amanda Walsh, who continued to dominate in the breaststroke, and Abbey Willis, who had a personal-best time in the 100-yard butterfly and took two seconds off her time in the 100 free.
The Canton girls also lost a heartbreaker to Sharon last Tuesday, falling by 90-80 in a meet that came down to the final relay.
“They just had some strong swimmers who were able to pull it out,” said Mooney, who had never come that close to beating Sharon in her four years of coaching.
Despite the loss, the Bulldogs earned several first-place finishes, including McLaughlin in the 100 fly, Guerini in the 100 free, and the 200-yard relay team of McLaughlin, Guerini, Frazier and Walsh.
Meanwhile, the boys’ team lost both of their meets last week — 95-75 against Franklin and 95-65 against Sharon — and are now even with the girls at 3-4 overall.
Against the Panthers, the team got strong individual performances from Eric Newton, who won the 200 individual medley in 2:24; James Frazier, who won the 50 free and is “on the verge” of qualifying for sectionals; and Kevin Wing and Steven Helmuth, who both were strong in the 100-yard butterfly.
Against the Eagles, Yanni Papadopoulos and Kyle Hanscom continued to impress as both swimmers posted personal-best times in the 100 freestyle.
“Every time they get in the pool they are dropping times,” Mooney said of Hanscom and Papadopoulos. “It’s so much fun to watch.”
Also on Tuesday, the boys’ IM relay team was just touched out of first place and finished with a time of 1:59.82. Members include Scott Buresh, Newton, Frazier, and John Whittemore. Scott Rosenblatt also continues to add points for the team in both the 200 and 500 freestyle.
Next up for the swimmers is an away meet Sunday versus Foxboro, followed by an away meet next Monday versus Stoughton and a home meet next Wednesday against Oliver Ames.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=11119
Posted by Jay Turner
on Jan 25 2012. Filed under High School, Sports.
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