BEACON FALLS — The Woodland girls swim team is leaving opponents in its wake heading into the final week of the regular season.
The Hawks improved to 7-4-1 on the season with an 89-81 victory on Monday over Kennedy.
Woodland got it going early with the 200 medley relay team of Sarah Bryden, Lisa Thrasher, Kyla Drewry and Brooke Pope swimming to victory in 2:15.79.
All four swimmers went on to post individual victories to pace the Hawks attack. Pope took first place in the 50 freestyle at 28.21. Drewry won first in the 100 butterfly in 1:15.52, Bryden won the 100 freestyle in 1:03.23 and Thrasher won the diving competition for the eighth straight meet posting a score of 176.35.
Morgan Reichard added a victory in the 200 IM in 2:52.72.
“We won again against a very tough Kennedy team,” said Woodland head coach Mike Magas, following the Hawks third win in four meets. “We have great senior leadership. The atmosphere around here has everyone pulling for one another and that starts from the top down.”
Magas was talking about his senior captains Erin Mascoli, Chloe Ariola and Bryden along with seniors Thrasher, Reichard, Lauren Lombardi, Lexi Byczko and Karli Reynolds.
Woodland defeated Jonathan Law of Milford, 92-86, Oct. 15 with Bryden, Pope and Thrasher leading the way. Bryden won the 200 IM in a time of 2:40.72 and Pope took first in the 50 freestyle at 28.22. Thrasher won the diving competition.
“Thrasher has been a real pleasant surprise,” Magas said. “She has an amazing amount of potential and has been a bright spot for us. She is starting to have a lot of confidence and has been consistent all season with a season-high of 202 against St. Paul.”
Magas said the Hawks have depth in diving with Byczko.
“Lexi is another one of our divers who is beginning to trust herself to make the more difficult dives,” he said. “She has done a lifetime best in the six dive and now is working on her 11 dive routine.”
Woodland ran into a tough SWC opponents in Masuk Oct. 16 and fell, 100-82. Thrasher took first in diving with a score of 187.55. Reichard swam to first in the 100 breaststroke in 1:27.69. Pope led the field and put up one of her best times of the season winning the 50 freestyle in 27.67.
“Brooke is starting to realize the harder you work in practice the better your time will be once you get into the meet,” Magas said. “Even with losses to the top three teams in the league Seymour, Sacred Heart and Watertown the goal is to do better than we did last year (7th place) at the NVLs.”
Woodland will close out the regular season Oct. 27 with a senior night celebration against Torrington at 5 p.m.
