Lady Rams up their game and PRs on their way to higher seedings in Conference Championship
October 18, 2023 at 9:48 p.m.
It is the time of year when the Lady Rams swimmers are upping their game, so much so that it doesn't really matter whether they win or lose but how fast they go in what amounts to a last series of splashes for five graduating seniors and improved seedings in the upcoming Conference Championships Saturday (10/21) in Peekskill.
In that latest series of splashes, Port Chester moved up in class against higher-ranked Harrison away last Friday (10/13), losing a close meet 49-41 while setting 10 personal records (PRs) along the way in a meet that resulted in the best Ram swimmers moving up to higher seedings in the post-season Conference title swim meet.
PRs and excitement
In the regular season's next-to-last home meet, the Lady Rams lost to Woodlands 57-37 during Senior Night Monday (10/16) at the Carver Center despite winning five events and setting three PRs in a match that included the season's most exciting race in which four swimmers finished within one second of each other while many other races had to be decided by touch and official rulings.
In the Harrison meet, the Lady Rams churned away to 10 PRs: Ashley Zapata and Anabel Jimenez in the 50-freestyle, Andrea Barajas and Estefana Bautista in the 100-free, Chenoa Marquez in the 500-free and 100-breaststroke, Monika Tobar in the 50-free and 100-back stroke and Esmeralda Sanchez and Sophia Tellez in the 100-back stroke.
Higher seeding results
Those times mean they will have higher seedings in the upcoming Conference Championships as wild cards against the area's best of the best with a shot, admittedly a long shot, at qualifying for the state championships.
But who will be seeded where took a back seat to the emotion that filled the pool during Senior Night when five seniors—Karen Guamarrigra, Kaylee Dugally, Nicole Ortega, Melody Sapione and Jaina Gonzalez—took their last swims for the home team in their home pool at the Carver Center.
Senior Night at Carver Center Monday, Oct. 16 before the Woodlands dual meet. From left, head coach Colleen Cahill, Karen Guamarrigra, Kaylee Dugally, Nicole Ortega, Melody Sapione, Jaina Gonzalez, assistant coach Anton Raskin.Courtesy of Colleen Cahill
And then that emotion gave way to the excitement of many of the match finishes being decided by the touch measuring device and official rulings—none more exciting than the 50-freestyle event.
Morgan Saunders won the race in 32:08 followed by two Woodlands swimmers hitting the finish line in 32:12 and 32:91 with Port Chester's Kim Rivera fourth in 38:34.
The winning combos
The Lady Rams splashed home first in the following events:
Gonzalez won the 200-yard free, Marquez took the 500-free, Saunders, Bautista, Rivera and Marquez won the 200-freestyle relay, and Gonzalez and Saunders came back to win the 100-yard backstroke and 50-yard free respectively.
Three PRs were recorded by Kim Rivera in the 50-yard free and Ortega and Gonzalez in the 200-intermediate and 100-back stroke respectively.
That set the stage for a final regular season ending dual meet against Brewster Wednesday (10/18 after press time).
And then come the Conference Championships Saturday (10/21) at the Peekskill Middle School at 10:30 a.m. No matter whether they win or lose, inspirational coaches Colleen Cahill and assistant Anton Raskin predict even more PRs before the curtain comes down on the season, those improved times a result of the long practices the Lady Rams pushed themselves through in early morning pre-class workouts from 5:45 to 8 a.m. in the Carver Center pool before a quick shower and record-breaking sprints to get to class on time.
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