Repeats as 500 champ, adds another title in the 200 to highlight WMHS performances in M.L. meet

SHANNON QUIRK, a senior, captured the championship in the 500 freestyle and 200 freestyle at the Middlesex League Girls’ Swimming Championships. Quirk won the 500 freestyle title for the second straight year. (Donna Larsson File Photo)

SHANNON QUIRK, a senior, captured the championship in the 500 freestyle and 200 freestyle at the Middlesex League Girls’ Swimming Championships. Quirk won the 500 freestyle title for the second straight year. (Donna Larsson File Photo)

WALTHAM — Senior Shannon Quirk not only repeated as Middlesex League champion in the 500 freestyle but she also was crowned the league champion in the 200 freestyle in the Middlesex League girls’ swimming and diving championships held on Wednesday and Thursday at Belmont High School and Bentley University.

Quirk repeated as the 500 freestyle champion on Wednesday as she posted winning time of 5:12.38. She beat out Winchester freshman Kate Fosburgh who swam a time of 5:25.83.

The senior swam again yesterday at Bentley University and added another title to her resume. Quirk captured first overall as she clocked in at 1:59.37. She beat out Stoneham sophomore Zack McCarville who swam a time of 2:00.79.

Madison Guay, a junior, also competed in the 200 freestyle and earned a fifth place finish at 2:08.79. Guay dropped her time over three seconds. Guay’s time also qualified her for states.

Guay also took ninth overall in the 100 butterfly with a personal best time of 1:06.55. She has qualified for North sectionals and is close to qualifying for the state meet. She will also the opportunity to make the state cut at the sectional meet.

Senior co-captain Avery York scored a point with a 16th place finish in the 200 individual medley at 2:37.59. York also secured a 15th place finish in the 100 butterfly as she touched in at 1:12.67.

In addition to Quirk scoring points in the 500 freestyle, junior Nicole Pecjo claimed 14th place with a time of 6:05.58.

“Many of the girls had their times drop or did very close to their best,” said Coach Kathy Byrne. “(It was) A very good meet overall.”

The 200 medley relay “A” team finished eighth overall in a time of 2:11.30, while the 200 medley relay “B” team posted a time of 2:21.43.

Wakefield’s 200 freestyle relay “A” team earned a fifth place finish with a time of 1:53.80, while its 200 freestyle relay “B” and “C” teams posted times of 2:00.69 and 2:10.62.

The 400 freestyle relay “A” team captured sixth place overall at 4:02.62.

In the team scoring, Wakefield finished seventh overall with 150 points.

The Warriors also had some good performances although those swimmers didn’t place among the top 16.

Caroline Sweeney, a freshman, just missed out on the point scoring (the top 16 score points) in the 200 freestyle as she finished in 17th place at 2:15.19.

Tori Tringale, a junior, came in 31st overall in the 200 freestyle in a time of 2:32.62.

In the 200 individual medley, Cecelia Colliton and Gianna Tringale, a senior, came in 27th and 29th overall with times of 2:57.91 and 3:04.12.

The Warriors swimming the 50 freestyle included Brigid Scanlon (90th, 32.33 seconds), Gianna Tringale (93rd, 32.54 seconds), Julia Hanley (98th, 33.03 seconds), Anna Nardone (99th, 33.09 seconds), Mikayla Foley (107th, 33.98 seconds), Erin Lomasney (123rd, 35.15 seconds), Hannah Melanson (124th, 35.16 seconds), Kelly O’Connell (139th, 36.69 seconds), Erin Lucey (145th, 37.52 seconds), Ashleigh Farrow (151st, 38.33 seconds), Abigail Cunningham (155th, 39.15 seconds) and Samantha Niblett (166th, 44.29 seconds).

In the 100 butterfly, Taylor Guarino, a junior, finished in 20th place with a time of 1:16.84.

Seniors Shannon Grady, Kim Green and Abby Carney all swam the 100 freestyle. They placed 18th, 27th and 29th overall with times of 1:03.11, 1:07.51 and 1:09.51.

Green and Colliton both competed in the 500 freestyle and placed 25th and 26th with times of 6:45.19 and 6:51.83.

In the 100 backstroke, Grady, a senior co-captain, finished in 17th place and just missed scoring a point as she timed in at 1:13.89. Guarino, Carney and Tori Tringale came in 22nd, 32nd and 33rd with times of 1:17.50, 1:25.86 and 1:26.84.

Pecjo swam the 100 breaststroke and came in 17th overall  with a time of 1:22.54 and nearly scored a point for her team. Melanson, Lucey and Scanlon finished in 24th, 28th and 30th place with times of 1:27.70, 1:35.07 and 1:36.43.

Wakefield will now gear up for the North Sectional meet which will be held on Sunday, Nov. 9 at 8:30 a.m. at Wellesley College.