The following is a press release courtesy of the Suffield Academy:
Suffield’s girls team made it three titles in a row while their boys’ team was a three peat runner up in the New England Prep Division I championship, held at Phillips Exeter Academy, in Exeter, New Hampshire, on March 7-8. Suffield’s girls scored 344 points, followed by runner up Choate School with 287, and Andover in third with 259. Winning the boys’ meet was Deerfield Academy, amassing 370 points, to Suffield’s 320, and third place Andover, at 314.
Many records tumbled over the two day meet. On the girls’ side, Suffield lowered the N.E. record for the fourth consecutive year, swimming to an automatic All America time of 1:44.10. Seniors Pure Maleenont (26.10) and Becca Titterton (29.–) were joined by sophomore Eva Crouse (24.97) and freshman Shaun Johnson (23.60) in the swim. Crouse returned to the blocks in the next event, where she battled Milton Academy’s Lily Vivado. Both girls broke the 1:50 barrier and N.E. record but Crouse (1:49.85) was touched out by Vivado’s final sprint to the wall (1:49.53).
Suffield’s three time All American Titterton claimed the I.M. (2:10.33) and 100 breast (1:05.28), while Vivado won the fly (56.62) and Crouse the 100 free (51.52) later in the meet. Eighth grader Kate Hazlett. from Greenwich Academy, took the 50 in 23.58. Hopkins School’s world ranked sophomore backstroker and distance freestyle ace Erin Early broke two of her own records in speeding to 4:47.– in the 500 and 53.74 in the backstroke one event later. In addition to this, Earley was a key figure in Hopkins’ wins in the two free relays (1:36.79 and 3:30.–), the latter relay challenged by Suffield’s 3:31.50 effort. The breaststroke vaulted Suffield into a more than 50-point lead on the strength of a 1-2-3 finish, with Emily Lowe (1:06.78) and Brooklynn Hayes 1:08.18 (1:07.58 prelims) chasing teammate Titterton to the wall.
Greenwich Academy’s Elizabeth Fitzpatrick broke the 11-dive record (527.70) in capturing the diving title.
In the boys’ competition, Deerfield made a strong opening statement, as Will Hrabchak (23.47), Alan Lam (26.19), Miles Smachlo (21.61), and Matt Hrabchak (20.44) sped to a fast 1:31.71 for a new N.E. record in the medley relay. Suffield also claimed a N.E. relay record in winning the sprint free relay, as Ralph Koo (21.21), Cam Auchinachie (21.19), Brandon Liao (21.00), and Kaison Ifill (20.62) swam to an automatic All America time of 1:24.02.
Deerfield’s Matt Hrabchak and Smachlo each emerged as double individual event winners, all swims establishing new N.E. records. Hrabchak claimed the 200 (1:38.90) and 500 (4:26.05) freestyle events, with Smachlo streaming to 200 I.M. (1:48.47) and 100 fly (48.42) victories. Suffield’s Ifill took the 50 free in 20.98 and Koo the 100 (45.95), while Matt’s younger brother Will Hrabchak won the backstroke (50.47). Host Exeter’s Thomas Gallup won the breaststroke (57.28).
Deerfield outswam Suffield in the final relay, 3:05.58 to 3:08.07.
Once upon a time Robert Hrabchak was quite a sprinter at Deerfield too. Like all good things, looks like the next generation took it higher. Congrats to the Big Green.