Andover’s Golden Warriors Triumph at Massachusetts Girls High School State Champs

WELLESLEY, Mass., Nov. 20. IT was a golden and brown day for Andover at the MIAA (Massachusetts) Girls High School State Swimming and Diving Championships, held November 19 at Wellesley College.

Golden because the Golden Warriors won eight of the 12 events contested; brown because the Brown sisters–Connie and Sally–combined for four individual victories between them, not to mention the two winning relays each sister swam on.

Connie Brown, a sophomore, won back-to-back individual races. She began by taking the 100 fly in 56.20, well off her state record of 55.52 set last year. Less than 10 minutes later she was up on the blocks again for the 100 free. When she touched home in 51.52 she had broken the 15-year-old state record of 51.62 set by Cynthia Kangos in 1985. Kangos swam for Wellesley High in 1985. Today, as Cynthia Kangos-Baker, she is the Wellesley coach.

"I've never done two events that close together," said Brown after crawling out of the pool. "There was no way I was leaving it on the blocks though. I was going after the record."

Brown also swam on Andover's victorious 200 medley (1:49.94) and 400 freestyle relays (3:33.65).

Sally Brown, a senior, stroked to victory in the 200 (1:52.92) and 500 free (5:04.59) and anchored Andover's 200 medley relay to victory and 200 free relay to a state record 1:38.26. The old mark, 1:38.62, was set by Chelmsford in 1998.

Andover chalked up another win when freshman Elizabeth Mancuso sprinted the 50 free in 24.32.

The Golden Warriors easily defended their team crown, finishing 128.5 points ahead of second place Chelmsford. Andover had never won a state title before last year.

Andover wasn't the entire story of the meet, however.
Bishop Feehan's Katie McCann won two events of her own. McCann, a senior, lowered her own state mark of 2:05.39 for the 200 IM, set last year, when she reeled off a 2:04.41. She later came back to take the 100 backstroke in 58.54.

Belmont's Whitney Ryan defended her crown in the 100 breast, her 1:06.35 falling just shy of her state record 1:06.05. Seekonk's Alisna Lee was the upset winner of the diving, defeating Andover's Jen Busby, the defending champion, by more than 26 points.

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