HAMILTON – The Greater Chenango Aquatics Team, known as the Chenango Gators, wrapped up its season two weeks ago at the Adirondack Swimming Long Course Championship at Colgate University’s Lineberry Pool.
The Gators were among 33 USA Swimming-sanctioned organizations to compete in the Adirondack Swimming LSC (local swimming committees) that drew teams from the Adirondack region, Albany, and surrounding areas. The Gators’ teams improved by leaps and bounds, said Gators coach Saundra Gantt, particularly in the prelims and finals.
“We finished among the top half of the teams overall as compared to second-worst last year,” Gantt said. “The swimmers performed very well all season and had some great times. The summer long-course season (races in meters instead of yards) is tough for our swimmers because for them, it’s the off-season. But in reality, the summer long-course season is the in-season for swimming. The teams that participate in USA Swimming train for it. Our main focus is improving on technique, for now.”
Abby Voce, a standout swimmer from Oxford who swims for the Norwich varsity, had three individual first-place finishes in the 11-12 age group (results below) to lead the way. Voce won the 50-meter breaststroke, freestyle, and butterly, and anchored the first-place 11-12 girls 200-meter relay that included Maya Blaisure, Saige Benedict, and Lauren Llewellyn.
Voce’s times qualified her for the Eastern Zones Championship meet Aug. 7-10 in Virginia in the 50-meter free, 50-meter fly, 200-meter free relay, along with the 200- and 400- medley relays. “Abby qualified in the 50 free with a ‘AAAA’ time, and her fly and 100 free times with ‘AAA,’” Gantt said. “Those times are based on the TUSS Motivational Time Standards for USA Swimming. A quad-A is the top of the tier, which lists BB and B at the bottom. This season, most of our swimmers were ranked at ‘A,’ and that is a huge improvement from last season when we didn’t even make the list.”
Below are the Gators’ individual results and team results.
Individual Results
(Name, age group: Event, place finish among top 16, time)
*Distances are in meters
Saige Benedict, 11-12 girls: 50m free (6), 32.40.
Kaitlyn Blaisure (10 and under girls): 50 breaststroke (6), 50.41; 100 breaststroke (2), 1:58.64.
Maya Blaisure, 11-12 girls: 50 breaststroke (3), 40.83; 100 breaststroke (3), 1:30.66.
Hannah Collier, Women’s division: 200 back (12), 2:40.95.
Jillian Ferrarese, (8 and under girls): 50 free (6), 50.05; 50 breaststroke (9), 1:15.26; 50 back (10), 1:08.41.
