Sparked by seven gold medals and another 21 silver and bronze medals, the YWCA Greenwich Dolphins Swim Team posted a seventh-place team finish in the 2024 Connecticut Short Course Age Group Championships held at Wesleyan University in Middletown on March 14-17.
The 13-14 Girls also took that Division title as well. It was the Dolphins 25th Consecutive Top 10 placing in the State Championship.
The 50-team event featured more than 800 swimmers from throughout the state competing in 108 events over three and one-half days.
Leading the way for the Dolphins with three gold medals was Kate Boutry, 13, who claimed gold in the 100-yard Backstroke (56.57), 200-Back (1:55.55) and the 200-Free (1:55.55). Boutry also anchored the winning 800-Freestyle Relay team with a 1:54.83 anchor leg along with Samantha Packard (1:59.81), Sophia Bens (1:59.10) and Kensie Worden (1:59.63) to finish at 7:53.37. Boutry also claimed Bronze in the 50-Free (24.46).
Oliver Bjerke, 12, claimed two golds in the 11-12 class winning the 100-Butterfly (1:00.68) and the 200-Butterfly (2:16.97) as well as silver in the 50-Butterfly (27.51). John Landers, 14, in the 100-Free (48.86) and 200-Free (1:50.12) took silver in 13-14 events. Packard, 13, in the 200-Butterfly (2;11.50); in the bronze medalists included Landers in the 200-Back (2:02.41) and 50-Free (22.26); Packard in the 1650-Free (18:13.99); Natalie Ranta, 10, in the 200-Free (2:19.10); Kensie Worden, 13, in the 100-Free (53.84) and 50-Free (24.46).
Other relay action saw Landers combine with Connor McMahon, Scott Luecke and James Ozanne for gold in the 13-14 200-yard Medley Relay at 1:42.70 and silver in the 400-Free Relay.
Boutry, Worden, Packard and Bens took silver in the 13-14 400-Medley Relay. Boutry, Packard, and Audrey Li took silver in the 200-Medley, with Worden, Boutry, Packard and Olivia Devries taking bronze in the 200-Free Relay.
Other Dolphins reaching the top 16 included: Sophia Bens, 14; Olivia Devries, 13; Brighid Dowling, 11; Madeline Guarnera, 12; Vivian Jacoby, 11; Sara Jee, 14; Audrey Li, 14; Leona Likvornik, 13; Scott Luecke, 14; Connor McMahon, 14; James Ozanne, 14; Natalie Ranta, 10; Jackson Waters, 12; Vaughn Waters, 10; Kensie Worden, 14; Wyatt Zabel, 12 and Jack Zapata, 10.
Founded in 1919, YWCA Greenwich is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. YWCA Greenwich provides programs for people of all ages and genders with initiatives that include preschool and after school programs, aquatics programs, youth athletics, health and fitness programs and seminars focusing on racial justice and women’s empowerment. Additionally, YWCA Greenwich is the only provider of domestic and sexual violence services in Greenwich, with staff who are licensed to provide crisis intervention, counseling, shelter, and victim advocacy. These services are free.