Bonac Swimming Finishes Second at Leagues; Qualify For Two More Events at States

The league championship meet represents the final chance of the season for swimmers to hit qualifying times in individual events and relays for the upcoming Suffolk County Championships, and several members of the East Hampton/Pierson girls swim team did that and more at the League III Championships at West Islip High School on Friday.

There will be a large contingent of Bonackers at the county championships, set for November 6 at Stony Brook University. Many of them qualified for counties during the regular season, but there were a few more key victories and both county and state meet-qualifying times set at leagues last week.

As a team, the Bonackers finished second behind Sayville, the only team they lost to during the regular season.

The meet got off to a great start, with the 200-yard medley relay team of Camryn Hatch, Jane Brierley, Ava Castillo and Lily Griffin winning the league title with a time of 1:51.11. That time not only won the league crown but was also good enough to qualify the team for the New York State Championships.

Brierley also hit the state championship qualifying time in the 100-yard butterfly at the league meet, winning the race in 1:06.09.

Overall, the team had six league champions at the end of the meet. In addition to the 200 IM team’s win, and Brierley’s dominant effort in the 100 butterfly, she also won the 100 breaststroke, by more than five seconds, while Hatch won the 50-yard freestyle and the 100 backstroke, and Griffin won the 100 freestyle.

The postseason atmosphere led to many Bonac swimmers achieving personal best times. Freshman Lizzie Daniels had a great day, shaving 6.7 seconds off her previous best time in the 200-yard individual medley, and taking 17.3 seconds off her previous best time in the 500 freestyle. Pierson freshman Lily Caplin dropped 8.9 seconds off her previous best effort in the 500 free.

Sayville won the meet with 370 points, while East Hampton was second with 315 points.

As has been typical for the team in recent years, East Hampton will have plenty of representation at the county meet at Stony Brook. The Bonackers will compete in the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay, while five swimmers qualified in one or more individual events. Lilly Griffin will compete in the 200 free, the 50 free, the 100 free and the 100 breaststroke; Ava Castillo will compete in the 200 IM, the 100 butterfly and the 100 freestyle; Cami Hatch will compete in the 200 IM, the 50 free, the 100 butterfly, the 100 freestyle, and the 100 backstroke; Jane Brierley will compete in the 50 free, the 100 butterfly, the 100 backstroke and the 100 breaststroke; and Lizzy Daniels will compete in the 100 breaststroke.