High school swimming: Amherst earns dual meet sweep over Monson (PHOTOS)
Published: 01-03-2025 9:35 PM |
AMHERST — The Amherst swimming and diving teams both earned wins against Monson on Friday afternoon at the Amherst Middle School pool.
The Hurricanes’ girls squad improved to 2-2 on the season with a 132-44 win while the boys picked up win No. 1 on the year behind a 60-53 triumph.
Amherst is in the second year of retooling its overall program after the girls captured consecutive Central/West championships in 2022 and 2023. Head coach Denise Leckenby credited Amherst’s middle-school contributors, which make up nearly 40 percent of the overall roster, as important pieces in keeping the Hurricanes competitive.
“At least this year, I’m able to incorporate them, some of them are really fast, their energy and spirit goes a long way on the team,” Leckenby said. “At least at the moment, I have room for them and I don’t have to make cuts for the team, which is also at this point one of my goals because six lanes in a pool is limited space.”
Leckenby added that middle-school swimmers in Amherst have been allowed to compete on the high school varsity team for decades. Not every school district can say the same.
Twelve of the Hurricanes’ 31 total swimmers are still in middle school, including six of the nine boys swimmers.
“I’m excited that the depth of the team, meaning the numbers, the heart and soul of the team is now starting to see the payoff of the past three years,” Leckenby said. “Whereas three years ago, we had really fast relays, won states, and now we’re rebuilding all the way back to that with the same cornerstone swimmers that were there from the beginning.
“And then bringing on some of the new middle schoolers who are really adding to the energy on the team and the point situation,” Leckenby said. “Every relay that they’re a part of they’re adding and contributing so it’s really fun.”
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A couple of middle-schoolers did well Friday against the Mustangs including Emory Albertson in the girls 100-yard breaststroke (1:19.80) and Lewin Halasz in the boys 100-yard butterfly (1:04.97).
Caprial DiBartolomeo, a junior, beat her seeding time with a sectional qualifying performance in the girls 100-yard butterfly, finishing in 1:07.63 as Amherst’s standout of the meet, according to Leckenby.
“[DiBartolomeo] and Sadie [Cyr] both go to [Hopkins Academy], they’ve both been part of the Amherst swimming fabric since the beginning,” Leckenby said. [Cyr] is a senior, [DiBartolomeo] is a junior, and I’m really excited to see all the hard work that [DiBartolomeo] has been putting in, really focusing on that butterfly cut, and she got it tonight, on a week that I certainly didn’t expect it. I’m really excited for her.”
Cyr competed on both of the Hurricanes’ girls relay teams as the first leg against Monson. This marks Cyr’s second season in the pool for Amherst after playing basketball her first two years of high school.
Leckenby also mentioned senior diver Bette Sherr-Garcia as another strong performer for the girls team.
“[Sherr-Garcia] shined again tonight,” Leckenby said. “I’m really excited for her to see where she’s gonna head the rest of the season. We’ll go a long way with her on the diving board.”
Rowan Albertson qualified for the state meet in the 100 backstroke with her showing on Friday.
On the boys side, Leckenby noted freshman Soren Castenson’s performance in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:20.15.
Amherst is back in action next Friday, Jan. 10 when it hosts Ludlow at 5:15 p.m.