Hundreds of swimmers compete in summer season

Lane Arias gets some advice from coach Annabel Smith. A diver from MKMP enters the pool. Julie Archer gets encouragement from coach Katie O’Donnell. Alex Palacio swims breaststroke for Katonah. Vincent D’Eramo of Mount Kisco on his way to victory in the breaststroke. Olivia Hickerson swims butterfly for Katonah against Mount Pleasant. (Greg Kaplowitz photos)

By JIM MACLEAN

It is a summer ritual for hundreds of families all across Northern Westchester.

Year after year, brothers and sisters, friends and families, share countless hours creating memories competing with their local town pool swim team in the Northern Westchester Summer Swim Conference.

Recent Fox Lane graduate Annabel Smith understands what it means to compete for your local town pool. She has accomplished a lot in the sport of swimming. She is going off to compete at the Division 1 level in college this fall at Georgia Institute of Technology after establishing herself as one of the best swimmers in Fox Lane High School history where she won a New York state championship. She admits the summer swim program has a special place in her heart, competing since she was 6 years old for her town team, and this year she is back to compete in the 18-and-under races while also serving as the head coach for the Mount Kisco Memorial Pool team.

“Summer swim got me hooked on swimming, it’s really special to me,” Smith said of her experience with the summer swim program. “As I get older it’s fun to watch other little kids falling in love with it. Summer swim is so much fun, it’s not really about winning or losing, everyone is cheering for each other giving you high fives. I was an assistant coach last year and I’ve been helping out for a couple of years, so I wanted to try the coaching part and it’s been fun.”

Smith is still only 17, so she plans to return again next year if her collegiate career allows it. It is a big responsibility with a team that includes 91 kids competing, and she continues to lead by example.

In the first home meet of the season, Mount Kisco hosted Pound Ridge on Tuesday, July 15, and pulled out a 294-277 victory. Smith won a pair of races, as she was first in 18-and-under breaststroke and freestyle.

Nico Lahre had a big day for Mount Kisco as he was an individual winner in four events. Lahre won the boys 12-and-under breaststroke, as well as the 10-and-under backstroke, freestyle and butterfly.

Vincent D’Eramo was a triple winner for Mount Kisco in the breaststroke, freestyle and backstroke.

Double winners for Mount Kisco included Lane Arias in butterfly and backstroke, Devin Pellow in butterfly and backstroke, Charlotte Jordan in freestyle and breaststroke, and Sophia Oh in breaststroke and backstroke.

Other individual winners for Mount Kisco were Kelsey Grayson in butterfly, Andrew Acocello in butterfly, Spencer Grayson in freestyle, Olivia Oh in freestyle, Chloe Lovig in breaststroke, and Maddie Nurenberg in backstroke.

It is always a fun meet for Mount Kisco against Pound Ridge with Fox Lane teammates competing against each other. For Pound Ridge, Fox Lane swimmer Eva Orscher was a double winner in the freestyle and butterfly events.

Katonah hosted Mount Pleasant on Saturday, July 12, in a close meet that went down to the wire before the visitors prevailed with a 284-272 victory.

The O’Donnell family had a trio of triple winners for Katonah as Katie O’Donnell won the freestyle, butterfly and backstroke. Kevin O’Donnell and Joe O’Donnell were also triple winners in freestyle, butterfly and backstroke.

Thomas Brown was also a triple winner for Katonah in the freestyle, butterfly and backstroke, and Annalise Braddock was a triple winner in freestyle, butterfly and breaststroke.

Double winners for Katonah were Julie Archer in butterfly and freestyle, while Isabella Hehman was a double winner in the butterfly and breaststroke.

Other individual winners for Katonah included Henry Green in breaststroke, Fiona Foster in freestyle, Tessa Cramer in breaststroke, Ben Ostrander in breaststroke, and Aubrey Hickerson in backstroke.

Attention summer swim coaches: please submit results by email to sports@therecorder.org.