Title Time In The Pool: Wolverines Boys Take TVL Crown, Girls Finish Second

The Westwood Swimming and Dive Team hosted Holliston-Medway today, and the mood was celebratory after a fantastic effort from both the boys and girls squads. This crucial win led the boys to defend their title as TVL champs and the girls to take the TVL runner-up position, just behind Dover-Sherborn.
 
Diving kicked off the meet as it often does for Westwood, with a strong showing on the boards. Regular contributors Jacqueline McGowan and Hannah Slotnick were joined by Caitlyn Hickey, and all three delivered valuable points for the Wolverines.

Slotnick led the way with an outstanding score of 173.75, narrowly followed by McGowan at 172.25. Hickey added an impressive 154.9, showcasing her remarkable versatility. Known for scoring points in sprints, distance events, and relays, Hickey once again proved her range by successfully completing all six dives and contributing on the board as well.

Westwood also featured several divers competing unofficially, gaining valuable experience and highlighting a bright future for the program. Those divers included Julia Hall, Valentina Eckerle, Mackenzie Carey, Sofia Zeneski, Elliot Goodwin, Sam Kaplan, and John Killilea.
 
The energy was high in the WHS pool as tight races upped the excitement. To begin the meet, a contested race in the medley immediately hyped up the crowd; Campbell Moran faced off in an competitive hunt for a potential Westwood podium sweep, turning on the jets to secure the trifecta. In the 200m freestyle, Ginger Sullivan put up a fight with a Holliston-Medway opponent, but ultimately fell short by just 0.14 seconds. On the boys side, there was a similar pattern: Michael Aljamal sped through the 100m freestyle side by side with a competitor, but he fell 0.22 seconds short. Shortly after, he recognized his opponents skill, highlighting his sportsmanship qualities and upholding his captain role.
 
In the medley, the boys took home the win as well. Shane MacDonald led the pack in the breaststroke, gaining their team a significant lead on the other competitors. Vincent Willis wrapped up their run with a speedy freestyle that secured them the vast win. Ethan Lee, also a part of this medley team, had his standout moment in the 500m freestyle where he excelled to the front at the beginning and held his lead throughout the ongoing laps.
 
Michelle Asriyan showed off her wide-ranging skill, winning two consecutive events. In the 50m freestyle sprint, she came out on top by a moderate gap and quickly channeled that energy into the 100m butterfly where another victory was achieved. Another strong competitor, Caitlyn Hickey, had an outstanding day through both her team success in the medley and her individual accomplishment in the 100m freestyle where she came out on top by a significant margin.
 
Not only did consistent stars display their skills. Upcoming competitors also showcased their growing skill set. Rayna Alvarez exemplified extreme determination in the 500m freestyle, obtaining an immense lead. Also, in the 100m backstroke Ryan Colleran secured the win with advanced technique; after a strong cross country season, she has proven herself to be an athletic force, excelling in several sports.
 
Next up, the boys team will face the Xavierian Swim Team in home water on January 23 at 4pm. For now, the rest of the team will be training for the large TVL meet on February 1 for the high stakes competition.