East Hampton/Pierson Girls Swimming Sending Five to State Meet

For the first time since 2019, the East Hampton/Pierson girls swim team is sending five of its athletes to the New York State Swimming and Diving Championships at the Webster Aquatic Center on November 18 and 19.

Jane Brierley, Ava Castillo, Elizabeth Daniels, Lily Griffin and Camryn Hatch all qualified, either individually, as part of a relay team, or in some cases both, at the Section XI Swimming Championships at Stony Brook University on Sunday.

In what was a successful meet for the Bonackers, finishing seventh out of 22 schools in the county with 142 points, Brierley was the biggest highlight. The senior qualified in two individual events, the 100-yard breaststroke, which she won the county title in, finishing in 1:04.04, and she had already had a state qualifying time in the 100-yard butterfly. She also helped the 200-yard medley relay team place third in the county in 1:51.28. Hatch, Castillo and Daniels also swam on that team with Brierley.

Hatch also qualified for states individually in the 100-yard backstroke after placing sixth in the county in 59.02 seconds.

Following the meet, Bonac captains chose Brierley as the team’s Swimmer of the Meet, and they said it was an easy choice. On top of her county-title victory in the 100 breast and helping the medley relay team place third, Brierley jumped from a 16th seed to a fourth-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle (24.97 seconds).

“In her final event of the meet, the 100-yard breaststroke, Jane was the top seed but only by 0.4 and this was set up to be one of the closest races of the meet because there were four competitors with a 1:06 seed time,” her father and head coach Craig Brierley explained. “With an intense focus and determination, Jane took that race out right from the start and quickly took a lead that she would never relinquish as she won by 1.4 seconds, going a lifetime best 1:04.04.”

East Hampton had 10 swimmers overall at counties and nearly all who competed finished with season or personal bests. Griffin, a sophomore, tied for 13th place in the 200-yard freestyle (2:04.40), and also finished 13th in the 100-yard freestyle (57.16 seconds). She also had another personal best time in her lead-off split of the 200-yard freestyle relay, which placed seventh in 1:49.82 and also included Castillo, Alyssa Brabant and Carolina Condon.

Castillo, another sophomore, finished the 200-yard individual medley 19th (2:27.72), the 100 fly in 16th (1:03.35), and also swam a personal best in the 200 free relay.

Daniels, a freshman, swam a personal best in her 50 free leg of the 200 free relay and placed 15th in the 100 breast in a personal best 1:14.61.

Hatch, a senior, on top of her sixth-place finish in the 100 back, swam the 50 back in the 200 medley relay, placed fifth in the 100 free (54.98 seconds), and led off the 400-yard freestyle relay which placed 10th.

The Bonac girls finished off the meet with the 400 freestyle relay. Hatch, Izzy Caplin, Maddie Elflein, and Lylah Metz, all swam best times and finished in 10th place.

“The dedication and hard work that the girls put in throughout the season shined through in their efforts in the competition,” Coach Brierley said.