Simsbury High Swimmers Dive Into New Season

The co-ed swim team has entered the 2011-12 winter season with high optimism and a full schedule. Following early season events that included a scrimmage against (Simsbury) and the annual Bulkeley Relays, the team begins its dual meet season on the road, facing Berlin High on December 20 and Valley rival Farmington High on December 22.

Coach Denise Raymond, in her third year as head coach and tenth with the team overall, identifies a core group of veteran team members and promising newcomers.

“We’re counting on strong performances from senior co-captains Meredith Miller in diving and Jay Ahn in the 500 freestyle. We’re also solid in breaststroke, where juniors Doug Nicholson and Alex Ratajczak give us some competitive depth,” said Raymond. “Meredith and Doug both had great results in the state tournament last season, and we’re hoping they can build on that success this year.”

The other senior co-captains, Chris Garrison (50 freestyle) and Meredith Willis (500 freestyle) should have strong seasons and will give Simsbury more speed in the relays.

“We see tremendous potential in freshman standouts Brenna Welsh in freestyle and backstroke and Cameron Schoffstall in diving,” Raymond continued. “Our freestyle relay team, which is senior Dan Robles and sophomores Nick Stamboulis, Kyle Chambers, and Sammi Dowd, is back and intact this season, and this group also competed at states last year.”

Numerous returning team members have made it to the state tournament, and Raymond acknowledged the importance of that experience to the program and the swimmers.

“Our team is a co-ed team mainly swimming against all-boy teams, and we are sending swimmers and divers of both sexes to the state tournament. It makes me really happy for these kids to see them succeed at that level, and the whole team really gets behind them,” she said.

Raymond and assistant coaches Scott Chambers and Eric LaPointe said there is a challenging schedule ahead.

“We have Farmington and Glastonbury in the next couple of weeks, and Avon is our last meet of the season. Those are typically very competitive meets, but our whole season contains strong, well-coached teams,” said Raymond.

The team looks forward to some key events in addition to its 16-meet schedule and various opens, trials, and tournaments. “Splash” is a late-February tournament event open to girls from a number of Connecticut high school swim teams who compete in the winter season. The swimming and diving season for all-girl teams takes place in the fall. Girl swimmers and divers who play a fall sport may choose to be on their school’s teams that competes in the winter, which is the traditional season for all-boy teams.

In some cases, schools without pools may decide to not have a girls’ season in the fall, so girls may join the boys’ team in the winter. As a result, most girls who swim or dive during the winter season rarely compete only against other girls in their events. “Splash” gives girls on co-ed teams the opportunity to compete in a tournament intended just for them.

Another important event on the team schedule is January 2012’s annual Swim-A-Thon, a combination team fund raiser and charity event, from which the team donated more than $750 in 2011 to a Simsbury first-grader waiting for a liver transplant. The seniors choose the charity; this year the donation will go to a breast cancer fund.

“It’s a fun event, and the team really works together to make it a big success,” said Raymond.

For more information about the team and upcoming meets, visit www.simsburyswimming.org.