High School State Championships: Connecticut Girls Open

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut, Nov. 17. DANA Grindall, an Amity Hall senior, set the only state record of the Connecticut Girls Open State Championships Nov. 17 at Yale University in New Haven. Her 54.10 in the 100 yard fly lowered the mark she set in 2010 (54.20). Grindall also became a four-year champion in the event.

Darien High moved up from its fourth-place standing last year to capture the team title with 548 points. New Canaan finished in second, just ahead of last year's champion, Greenwich (439-436.5). Amity Regional was fourth (295), followed by Hall (225.5).

The Blue Wave was led by senior Oliva Leunis, who put together wins in both the 200 IM (2:05.81) and 100 breast (1:04.96). Classmate Caroline Orem's 57.31 gave her the victory in the 100 back. The duo, along with junior Victoria Chao and freshman Lauren Rutledge, combined for a 1:48.51 to take the 200 medley relay.

In the last event of the meet, New Canaan's 400 free relay of senior Maddie Rusch, junior Alex Aliapoulios, freshman Meghan Egan and junior Jenna Egan swam against Greenwich's quartet of juniors Kim Hill, Christina Frias, Katie Evans plus senior Madeline Dunn. New Canaan squeaked out a 3:30.67-3:30.69 victory to give them second place over Greenwich.

The Cardinals also topped the field in the 200 free relay (1:36.56), with Jenna Egan, Alapoulios, freshman Libby O'Hare and Rusch. Rusch picked up an individual title courtesy of her 23.51 in the 50 free.

Ledyard senior Jessica Hespeler defended her 200 free title with a 1:50.75 effort and out-touched Brookfield senior Madeline Smart in the 100 free, 51.58-51.62. Verity Abel, a junior at Staples, improved on last year's third-place finish in the 500 free to triumph with her 4:58.47.

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