Sacred Heart girls swimming wins seventh straight CHSAA title
Sacred Heart poses after winning the team championship during the CHSAA girls swimming championships at the Nassau Aquatic Center on Sunday. Credit: David Meisenholder
The Sacred Heart girls swimming team’s championship streak was put to the test.
Sacred Heart had won six straight titles, but this year, the race for the top was expected to be tighter — and it was.
St. Anthony’s held a one-point lead after the 10th event, but Sacred Heart finished strong in the final four races, including two relay victories.
Sacred Heart totaled 722 team points, edging out St. Anthony's 694.5 points, and secured its seventh straight Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA championship and third consecutive intersectional CHSAA championship at the Nassau Aquatic Center on Sunday.
“It’s just enthusiasm,” junior Morgan Harkins said. “The pressure was all on us, but we know how to work through it together and this means so much to me.”
Sacred Heart’s Lauren Canty won the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:53.38 for the team's first individual victory.
“We’ve put a lot of hard work into this,” Canty said. “It means a lot. We’ve been a powerhouse for a while, so it’s nice to keep the tradition going. We love all our coaches and all our teammates a lot.”
Allie Hayes won the 100 freestyle in 52.65, and Sadie Davidoff captured the 500 freestyle in 4:58.88 for the Spartans.
“It’s such a great environment to compete here,” Davidoff said. “You have all of your friends behind you, and the whole team gets up to cheer for each other. That’s what makes it so special to win like this.”
St. Anthony’s freshman Lily Baynon won the 100 breaststroke in 1:04.28 and was named the meet's Most Outstanding Swimmer. Kellenberg placed third with 513 points.
In the 200 freestyle relay, the championship's 11th event, Sacred Heart’s quartet of Hayes, Canty, Harkins and Sophia Lyons finished first with a time of 1:39.11, putting Sacred Heart back in the lead.
“It’s all about mindset,” Lyons said. “We had a great mindset going in, knowing we can rely on each other and be excited to swim — it feels great.”
The same relay team of Hayes, Canty, Harkins and Lyons won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:34.21 in the final event to seal the victory.
“It’s just a really wonderful and cohesive group of girls,” coach Mary White said. “No matter how good they are, they’re the greatest kids you’d ever want to coach, and I’ve been doing this for 33 years."
