Every year since he started coaching in 2007, Wethersfield girls swim coach Lee Schwartman would watch as another team would throw its coach into the pool in celebration at the state swim championships.
“Every year we go to the state meet, and every year I watch a coach and a team celebrate in the pool and I think, ‘Maybe one day …’” Schwartzman said Thursday.
After attending 36 state class championships with his girls and boys teams, Schwartzman finally got his wish. His team threw him into the pool at Cornerstone Aquatics Center in West Hartford and then they jumped in and celebrated, after Wethersfield won its first state title in Class M Wednesday night, scoring 591 points to beat runner-up Pomperaug, the three-time defending champion, which scored 578 points.
It was the first time a Hartford area school has won a title at a boys or girls class championship meet since 2009, when the East Catholic girls won back to back Class S titles.
“We kind of got to represent this part of the state, got to get Central Connecticut back in the mix,” Schwartzman said. “When I look at the historical winners on the CIAC site, it’s nice to see our name in there.”
Senior Milena Brodowicz, who will swim at Bryant next year, won the 200 free title (1:57.63) for the second time, finished second in the 500 free (5:18.92) and helped the 200 free relay team win its fourth straight state title. Junior Morgan Tracy won the 100 free (53.90) and finished second in the 50 free (24.50) and was also on the winning 200 meter relay team.
“Everybody was so calm,” Schwartzman said. “There was a sense of confidence among the entire team, myself included. Tuesday, they were fired up at practice.”
Wethersfield finished second in 2023 and in 2014 but wasn’t that close. This year, they were in first coming out of the trials on Saturday and the team did what it had to do Wednesday to stay in that position.
“We didn’t win with a bunch of studs,” Schwartzman said. “We won on a complete team effort.
“I’ll never forget watching the team celebrate.”
Late Wednesday: East Catholic girls fall in PKs
The No. 1 seeded East Catholic girls team lost 2-1, 3-2 on penalty kicks, to No. 8 North Haven in the Class L semifinal, the second game of a doubleheader at Veterans Memorial Stadium Wednesday night.
North Haven will face will face Masuk, a 2-1 overtime winner over Rocky Hill in the other Class L semifinal Wednesday night, in the Class L championship game either Saturday or Sunday at a time to be determined at Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford.
North Haven goalkeeper Alivia Garnett made one save during penalty kicks; the last attempt by East Catholic went wide.
“It feels incredible,” Garnett said. “We’ve never made it here (to the semifinal) as a team. They played a great game. Both teams. It was a great battle.”
Kara Sweet, Ava Tarasuk and Gia Giaimo scored on penalty kicks for North Haven (15-4-1).
CIAC Swim Championships
At Cornerstone Aquatics Center, West Hartford
Class M
Top 10 team scores: 1. Wethersfield, 591; 2. Pomperaug, 578; 3. Guilford, 554.5; 4. Brookfield, 521; 5. East Lyme, 463.5; 6. Windsor Locks co-op, 265; 7. Berlin, 258; 8. Masuk, 240; 9. Stratford, 236; 10. Lyman Hall, 209.
200 medley relay: 1. Brookfield (Gretchen Janney, Marit Janney, Allison Gravius, Sophia Fraguela), 1:50.82; 3. Guilford, 1:52.02; 3. Pomperaug, 1:52.37; 4. Windsor Locks co-op, 1:57.25; 5. Masuk, 2:00.67; 6. Wethersfield, 2:00.72.
200 free: 1. Milena Brodowicz, Wethersfield, 1:57.63; 2. Emily Daukas, Pomperaug, 2:00.14; 3. Sarah O’Donnell, Ledyard/St. Bernard, 2:05.01; 4. Ruby Thoms, East Lyme, 2:05.24; 5. Muiriel Rader, Guilford, 2:06.79; 6. Maria Clara Matos da Cru, Guilford, 2:08.76.
200 IM: 1. Emma Zhang, Guilford, 2:06.84; 2. Caroline Suter, Pomperaug, 2:09.59; 3. Stella Green, Pomperaug, 2:12.97; 4. Avery Foito, Stratford, 2:14.03; 5. Brianna Laforest, Windsor Locks co-op, 2:14.97; 6. Gretchen Janney, Brookfield, 2:15.35.
50 free: 1. Sophia Fraguela, Brookfield, 24.45; 2. Morgan Tracy, Wethersfield, 24.50; 3. Kristina Klementon, Wethersfield, 24.63; 4. Aislin Cohen, Guilford, 24.80; 5. Ella Pape, East Lyme, 24.87; 6. Lena Savkovic, Masuk, 25.33.
Diving: 1. Sylvi Otter, East Lyme, 419.15; 2. Sara Blazejowski, Lyman Hall, 411.70; 3. Emma Sander, Pomperaug, 395; 4. Emma Toce, Berlin, 370.80; 5. Jenna Levine, East Lyme, 349.55; 6. Addison Cristaudo, Brookfield, 345.60.
100 fly: 1. Caroline Suter, Pomperaug, 58.07; 2. Ryan Cohen, Guilford, 58.54; 3. Allison Gravius, Brookfield, 59.47; 4. Stella Green, Pomperaug, 59.62; 5. Bailey Kissane, Berlin, 1:00.73; 6. Ciara Johnston, Stratford, 1:02.42.
100 free: 1. Morgan Tracy, Wethersfield, 53.90; 2. Aislin Cohen, Guilford, 54.11; 3. Sophia Fraguela, Brookfield, 54.37; 4. Kristina Klementon, Wethersfield, 54.74; 5. Ella Pape, East Lyme, 55.14; 6. Anna Hunt, Berlin, 57.14.
500 free: 1. Brianna Laforest, Windsor Locks co-op, 5:12.17; 2. Milena Brodowicz, Wethersfield, 5:18.92; 3. Emily Daukas, Pomperaug, 5:23.50; 4. Summer Miller, Wethersfield, 5:26.66; 5. Maddison Kelly, Wethersfield, 5:29.43; 6. Allison Gravius, Brookfield, 5:29.65.
200 free relay: 1. Wethersfield (Milena Brodowicz, Morgan Tracy, Summer Miller, Kristina Klementon), 1:40.40; 2. Guilford, 1:43.69; 3. East Lyme, 1:44.05; 4. Stratford, 1:46.57; 5. Masuk, 1:48.31; 6. Pomperaug, 1:48.32.
100 back: 1. Ryan Cohen, Guilford, 58.89; 2. Gretchen Janney, Brookfield, 58.93; 3. Grace D’Amico, Lyman Hall, 59.52; 4. Lena Savkovic, Masuk, 59.54; 5. Avery Foito, Stratford, 1:00.04; 6. Hannah Grimm, North Haven, 1:03.30.
100 breast: 1. Emma Zhang, Guilford, 1:05.87; 2. Cara Thompson, Pomperaug, 1:10.86; 3. Marit Janney, Brookfield, 1:12.01; 4. Julia Morcos, East Lyme, 1:12.08; 5. Catherine Raffaeli, Straford, 1:13.60; 6. Maddison Kelly, Wethersfield, 1:13.74.
400 free relay: 1. Guilford (Aislin Cohen, Ryan Cohen, Nora Clune, Emma Zhang), 3:39.01; 2. Wethersfield, 3:40.76; 3. Pomperaug, 3:42.13; 4. East Lyme, 3:47.79; 5. Brookfield, 3:48.44; 6. Windsor Locks co-op, 3:59.71.
Class LL
at Cornerstone Aquatics Center, West Hartford
Top 10 team scores: 1. Greenwich, 1038.5; 2. Norwalk/McMahon, 596; 3. Conard, 439; 4. Fairfield Ludlowe, 349; 5. Glastonbury, 341; 6. Trumbull, 277; 7. Staples, 271; 8. Barlow/Bethel/Immaculate, 239.5; 9. Southington, 239; 10. Manchester co-op, 236.
200 medley relay: 1. Norwalk/McMahon (Katherine Fedor, Emma Giafardino, Valeria Flores Gomez, Mackenzie Gray), 1:49.59; 2. Greenwich, 1:50.79; 3. Fairfield Ludlowe, 1:52.25; 4. Manchester co-op, 1:55.21; 5. Trumbull, 1:55.41; 6. Barlow co-op, 1:56.66.
200 free: 1. Wesley Wales, Greenwich, 1:51.71; 2. Gracie Lowney, Conard, 1:53.48; 3. Elsa Wang, Greenwich, 1:55.32; 4. Carly Waldman, Staples, 1:55.87; 5. Ainsley Sahrbeck, Greenwich, 1:56.05; 6. Olivia DeVries, Greenwich, 1:56.27.
200 IM: 1. Ella Gussen, Fairfield Ludlowe, 2:06.42; 2. Emma Giafardino, Norwalk/McMahon, 2:09.16; 3. Ellison Charette, Greenwich, 2:10.16; 4. Isadora Nassa, Grenwich, 2:13.76; 5. Sara Jee, Greenwich, 2:14.49; 6. Isabel Guzman, Greenwich, 2:15.95.
50 free: 1. Riley Anderson, Manchester co-op, 22.20 (old state record, 22.45, Riley Anderson, Class LL trials, 2025); 2. Kensington Worden, Greenwich, 24.07; 3. Alexis Abellard, Trumbull, 24.48; 4. Katherine Fedor, Norwalk/McMahon, 24.7f5; 5. Julia Istambouli, Danbury, 24.88; 6. Annalie Whitridge, Greenwich, 25.36.
Diving: 1. Alden Charette, Greenwich, 507.55; 2. Dylan Mogelof, Staples, 456.50; 3. Abigel Finta, Sacred Heart, 419.55; 4. Eibhlin Moynahan, Fairfield Ludlowe, 381.90; 5. Neha Jaychandran, Glastonbury, 374.90; 6. Clementine Whittle, Greenwich, 370.05.
100 fly: 1. Riley Anderson, Manchester co-op, 53.30 (old Class LL record, 53.71, Riley Anderson, 2025 Class LL trials); 2. Julia Kozma, Greenwich, 57.40; 3. Melissa Geiger, Greenwich, 57.68; 4. Rachel Hassett, Glastonbury, 1:00.69; 5. Norah Eldredge, Greenwich, 1:00.84; 6. Mackenzie Grey, Norwalk/McMahon, 1:00.98.
100 free: 1. Wesley Wales, Greenwich, 51.75; 2. Noelle Ivanovich, Trumbull, 53.70; 3. Alexis Abellard, Trumbull, 54.42; 4. Elsa Wang, Greenwich, 54.58; 5. Chloe Ableman, Norwalk/McMahon, 54.75; 6. Isadora Nassa, Greenwich, 55.07.
500 free: 1. Melissa Geiger, Greenwich, 5:03.71; 2. Ellison Charette, Greenwich, 5:03.76; 3. Olivia DeVries, Greenwich, 5:08.41; 4. Ainsley Sahrbeck, Greenwich, 5:12.01; 5. Addison Markoja, Meriden co-op, 5:14.34; 6. Carly Waldman, Staples, 5:18.43.
200 free relay: 1. Greenwich (Ellison Charette, Julia Kozma, Norah Eldredge, Lily Norton), 1:40.58; 2. Fairfield Ludlowe, 1:42.51; 3. Conard, 1:43.52; 4. Southington, 1:43.65; 5. Trumbull, 1:44.51; 6. Glastonbury, 1:45.28.
100 back: 1. Katherine Fedor, Norwalk/McMahon, 56.62; 2. Ella Gussen, Fairfield Ludlowe, 58.04; 3. Julia Kozma, Greenwich, 58.13; 4. Alden Charette, Greenwich and Makayla Pederson, Barlow co-op, 59.07; 6. Noelle Ivanovich, Trumbull, 59.26.
100 breast: 1. Emma Giafardino, Norwalk/McMahon, 1:05.46; 2. Kensington Worden, Greenwich, 1:07.15; 3. Georgia Theodorsen, Fairfield Ludlowe, 1:07.75; 4. Isabel Guzman, Greenwich, 1:07.87; 5. Addison Markoja, Meriden co-op, 1:08.53; 6. Sara Jee, Greenwich, 1:09.79.
400 free relay: 1. Greenwich (Sara Jee, Isadora Nassa, Wesley Wales, Ainsley Sahrbeck), 3:35.29; 2. Norwalk/McMahon, 3:36.47; 3. Conard, 3:39.91; 4. Manchester co-op, 3:46.63; 5. Meriden co-op, 3:50.02; 6. Southington, 3:52.09.