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December 4, 2008

Girls close out swim season

BUFFALO — Several area swimmers managed to improve on their sectional times at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships for girls recently.

The Section VII team consisted of 13 competitors. Seven were from Plattsburgh High School — juniors Megan Gadzuk-Shea and Madeline Frechette, and seniors Lauren Sherman, Simone Arvisais-Anhalt, Kirsten Lamora, Brooke Helwig and Hannah Saiz. Five swimmers represented Peru — sophomores Caitlin Houle and Molly Wilkins, juniors Sarah Connolly and Kelsie Miller along with senior Caitlin Schmitt. Freshman Sierra Cotrona was the lone representative of AuSable Valley High.

Arvisais-Anhalt produced the most dramatic drop in individual time. The premier Section VII breaststroker, Arvisais-Anhalt clipped one second off her winning time in the sectionals with a personal-best of 1:09.81, breaking the elusive 1:10 barrier for the first time in her swim career. She received the New York Good Sports Award for exemplary sportsmanship at the conclusion of the two-day state meet.

Saiz improved on her winning sectional times during the preliminary round. Friday's preliminary swims qualified her for Saturday's finals in the 100 butterfly and the consolation final of the 200 freestyle. Saiz's efforts of 58.29 in the 100 fly and 1:55.64 in the 200 free were both school and conference records. They were the 17th and 18th conference and school records Saiz has broken in her four years at Plattsburgh High. She placed 11th in the 200 free and 7th in the 100 fly at state meet. The seventh-place finish was the highest ever by Section VII swimmer at the state meet.

Connolly smashed her winning sectional meet time and broke the six-minute barrier in the 500 freestyle for a personal best time of 5:57.55.

Another highlight of the meet for Section VII was the outstanding performance of Plattsburgh's 200-yard freestyle relay team. Arvisais-Anhalt, Helwig, Frechette and Saiz took nearly three seconds off their winning time at the sectional meet, registering a season's best time of 1:46.80.

Notable performances were put in by Houle, a two-time conference winner in the 50 and 100 freestyle events, Miller a conference winner in the 100 backstroke, and Cotrona, swimming in her first state championship in the 200 individual medley.

Plattsburgh's 200 medley relay team of Sherman, Saiz, Arvisais-Anhalt and Gadzuk-Shea along with Peru's 400 freestyle relay team of Wilkins, Connolly, Miller and Houle swam well but were unable to better their winning sectional championship times.

The Section VII team was coached by Peru's Lauren Caniano, along with Jay Ruff of Plattsburgh, Andy Johnson of AuSable and Doug Garrand of AuSable.

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