34 Photos
Lizzy Daniels competes in the 100-yard butterfly. MARIANNE BARNETT
Vanessa Rizzo leads off the 400-yard freestyle relay. MARIANNE BARNETT
Sydney Powers gets some last-minute encouragement from coach Thomas Brierley. MARIANNE BARNETT
Sydney Powers reacts to her 100-yard freestyle time. MARIANNE BARNETT
The 400-yard freestyle team with Lizzy Daniels in the center. MARIANNE BARNETT
Avienne O'sShea checks out her time after finishing the 100-yard freestyle. MARIANNE BARNETT
Swimmers cheer on the final relay of the day, the 400-yard freestyle. MARIANNE BARNETT
A team hug before the 100-yard freestyle. MARIANNE BARNETT
Vanessa Rizzo competes in the 100-yard backstroke. MARIANNE BARNETT
Vanessa Rizzo takes off for her final heat in the 100-yard freestyle. MARIANNE BARNETT
Sydney Powers is happy with her time in 50-yard freestyle. MARIANNE BARNETT
Mia Milazzo is happy with her finish in the 100-yard backstroke. MARIANNE BARNETT
Sydney Powers leaps off the blocks in the 100-yard freestyle. MARIANNE BARNETT
Lizzy Daniels dives into the pool for the start of the 200-yard individual medley. MARIANNE BARNETT
Lizzy Daniels dives headfirst into the pool for the 100-yard butterfly. MARIANNE BARNETT
Lizzy Daniels doing the backstroke in a tight 200-yard individual medley. MARIANNE BARNETT
Mia Milazzo gets set for the 100-yard backstroke. MARIANNE BARNETT
Lizzy Daniels is all smiles before her 200-yard individual medley race on Sunday. MARIANNE BARNETT
Lizzy Daniels doing the breaststroke portion of the 200-yard IM. MARIANNE BARNETT
Lizzy Daniels checks her time in the 200-yard IM. MARIANNE BARNETT
Lily Caplin competes in the 100-yard breaststroke. MARIANNE BARNETT
Lily Caplin exits the pool for her last time as a Bonacker. MARIANNE BARNETT
Heidi Rizzo stretches just prior to her 200-yard freestyle race on Sunday. MARIANNE BARNETT
Ginger Griffin, left, Vanessa Rizzo and the coaches Craig and Thomas Brierley check out the scoreboard. MARIANNE BARNETT
Heidi Rizzo gives a quick peek in on her time in the 500-yard freestyle. MARIANNE BARNETT
Heidi Rizzo is set to dive in the pool for her 200-yard freestyle race. MARIANNE BARNETT
Heidi Rizzo with a big smile with her time in the 500-yard freestyle. MARIANNE BARNETT
Ginger Griffin checks her time in the 100-yard butterfly. MARIANNE BARNETT
Ginger Griffin in the 100-yard butterfly. MARIANNE BARNETT
The Bonackers cheer on their teammates in the final event on Sunday. MARIANNE BARNETT
Bonackers Olivia Robertson, left, and Kate Daleski supporting their teammates at Stony Brook University on Sunday. MARIANNE BARNETT
Avienne O'Shea gets a hug from teammate Olivia Robertson after her 200-yard freestyle. MARIANNE BARNETT
Vanessa Rizzo reflects on her 100-yard backstroke. MARIANNE BARNETT
Sydney Powers leads off the 200-yard freestyle relay for the Bonacker. MARIANNE BARNETT
The East Hampton/Pierson/Bridgehampton girls swim team finished seventh out of 19 schools at the Section XI Championships at Stony Brook University on Sunday.
The Bonackers had a total of 10 girls who earned the opportunity to compete at the county meet through qualifying times from throughout the season. They included Pierson senior Lily Caplin, East Hampton senior co-captain Elizabeth Daniels, East Hampton freshman Molly Grande, East Hampton junior Ginger Griffin, East Hampton senior co-captain Lylah Metz, East Hampton freshman Mia Milazzo, East Hampton eighth-grader Avienne O’Shea, East Hampton freshman Sydney Powers, and Heidi and Vanessa Rizzo, an eighth-grader and sophomore, respectively, from Pierson.
“The dedication and hard work that the girls put in throughout the season shined through in their efforts in the competition,” head coach Craig Brierley wrote in his newsletter to the team. “Just like at the league championship meet last week, the girls were prepared, excited and ready to compete and represent their school.
“Throughout the meet, many of the Bonac girls posted either a season-best or a lifetime-best time. A very impressive task given the fact that they posted best times just a week prior in the league championship meet.”
In the first event of the day, the 200-yard medley relay, Knight (backstroke), Caplin (breaststroke), Griffin (butterfly) and Sydney Powers (freestyle) all posted best times and took eighth place, in 2:01.35. The 200-yard freestyle relay of Powers, Daniels and the Rizzo sisters tallied a season-best time, dropping 4.9 seconds, to place fourth in the county, but the finish was four-tenths of a second short of qualifying for the state meet.
The 400-yard freestyle relay had three of its swimmers hit best times — Grande, O’Shea and Vanessa Rizzo — and placed seventh, in 3:57.27. Metz also swam on that team.
Heidi Rizzo was the team’s top individual point scorer, earning 20 points for the team, with a fourth-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle (5:27.12), while also placing sixth in the 200-yard freestyle (2:01.55). Daniels, an East Hampton senior, had the team’s highest individual finish, placing third in the 200-yard individual medley, in 2:14.39.
Best times also were achieved by O’Shea in the 200 (2:07.12) and 100 free (57.49 seconds), Sydney Powers in the 50 (25.91 seconds) and 100 free (58.17 seconds), Mia Milazzo in the 100 back (1:05.99), and Caplin in the 100 breast (1:15.60).
“All of these wonderful efforts earned the team a seventh-place finish overall, and the girls are driven to improve on what was done today to come back next year with even higher goals,” Brierley said. “Thank you to our family and friends, and to our teammates — Evann Castillo, Kate Deleski, Maya Dias, Emma Kapon, Olivia Robertson — who chose to travel to Stony Brook University to cheer on the team. Your support is greatly appreciated and so very important to our success.”
Bonac captains recognized East Hampton sophomore Olivia Robertson as their choice for Swimmer of the Meet. While she did not compete at counties, the captains said they really appreciated how Robertson was always there to motivate her teammates before their swims, and how she could always be counted on to be there cheering their races.
They also pointed out how she worked hard during the season to drop lots of time in her breaststroke and was a valuable contributor in her races during the season.
East Hampton will be sending its 200 medley relay in Daniels, Griffin and the Rizzo sisters, and Daniels will be competing individually in the 100 breast, at the New York State Swimming and Diving Championships at the Webster Aquatic Center on November 21 and 22.
