Lady Rams swim team looks to make splash despite 7 missing aces on fall season roster
August 24, 2023 at 1:20 a.m.
It was an eye-opener—and not just because the Lady Rams swim team started their first official fall season practice Monday, Aug. 21 at 5:45 a.m. in their Carver Center home pool, a lot earlier in the day than any other Port Chester team.
While the start of every new season brings its surprises, this one was totally unexpected.
While inspirational head coach Colleen Cahill expected to lose several key seniors from last year's vastly improved team, she was counting on Venezuelan import Chantal Marquez, one of her strongest swimmers, to return.
Hits age limit
But, as it turned out, Chantal, a senior, turned 19 just before the July 1 date set by New York State as the age limit for competitors.
"I was mentally prepared to lose several key seniors to graduation, including Madeline Saunders who will be swimming and diving for Western Connecticut State next year, but the biggest hit to this year's roster unfortunately came with the unanticipated loss of Chantal due to the state's age limit requirement," Cahill said.
So even as she is glad Chantal will continue to swim and train on her own because she is planning on swimming in college, Cahill has one more ace missing from her deck—a roster already depleted because of the loss to graduation of such talented swimmers as Sophia Ortiz-Heaney, Juliana Lopez, Gabriella Fajardo, Karen Pasato, Shirley Guzman and Saunders.
Pool half full
But Cahill is a pool half full, not half empty kind of coach, a former collegiate swimmer for Fordham/Marymount and now a special education teacher at the Thomas Edison School in the Port Chester School District.
So she enthusiastically said that, despite the losses, she was excited about the team prospects for the upcoming season because she has 27 varsity candidates out for the team—no small feat because of the early morning practice schedule from 5:45 a.m. to 7:15 a.m., the only practice hours the pool is available to the Lady Rams. That includes a double workout on Tuesdays stressing strength and conditioning in the high school weight room. Adhering to that kind of schedule takes 3Ds—determination, dedication and discipline. 
Brings out the best
And Cahill, because she is so genuinely interested in bringing out the best in every girl on the team in every way, inspires that kind of mindset.
She expects to name her team captains Friday (8/25). They will be drawn based on her observations during the first week of practice as well as the candidate's proven track record.
The logical candidates figure to include Jania Gonzalez (who was a co-captain last year) as well as Chenoa Marquez and Morgan Saunders, the younger sisters of Madeline and Chantal, both returning members of school record-breaking Lady Rams sprint relay teams that also included their siblings.
Add Kim Rivera, Mariangel Osorio and Brenda Cordova to that mix and you have the most likely contenders for spots on the A-relay teams. Other top prospects include Sophia Tellez, Daisy Ruiz, Ashley Zapata, Kim Rivera, Kaylee Duglay, Karen Guamerria and Melody Sapione.
The new additions
"We also have 10 new freshmen and a new sophomore out for the team, so I can't wait to see what skills they have to add to our team," Cahill said.
She won't have long to wait and see because the Lady Rams open their season Sept. 11, a Monday, against Brewster and Pearl River/Albertus Magnus, Sept. 13, a Wednesday, both at home at 5 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. respectively.
"I am looking forward to a good season with various swimmers stepping up, but I will very much miss our missing swimmers because each of them brought so much in their own ways to the team and to our program," Cahill said. But you play the hand you’re dealt, as the saying goes, and Cahill thinks she has a good one. Despite the missing aces.
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