Masuk Free Press

The Masuk Girls Swim team took on Trumbull on Tuesday, October 14th. This past meet was also their Senior Night, a night full of fun and exciting moments meant to celebrate and recognize all the effort and hard work the seniors put in. With SWC ( South West Conference) slowly approaching, swimmers are striving to qualify and win meets leading up to the championship meet. 

The girls’ record is 4-4-1; they are hoping to go into SWC’s as a strong and composed team. 

While many are qualified, some are still working to qualify. Their coach, Emily Demace, said, “ The girls are super close to SWC times; we’re hoping to get those today.” 

Many girls have already made SWC times and are ready to take on the championship. Ishani Tyagi, Betty Glus, Izzy Murzinska, Julia Iannotta, Laney Stillway, Lena Savkovic, Skye Eannotti, Stella Oliveira, Anastazja Malecka, Eliza Palmieri, and Grace Sheppard have all qualified for SWC’s . 

But this upcoming meet isn’t just for PR’s and qualifying, it’s also a meet meant to celebrate Masuk’s seniors. Sienna Jones (100 freestyle,100 Butterfly, and 100 Backstroke), Skye Eannotti (200 Medley, 500 Freestyle, and 50 freestyle), Eliza Palmieri (Diver), Grace Sheppard (100 Backstroke, and 100 Breaststroke), Ritiksha Patel (50 Freestyle), Ava O’leary (50 Freestyle), Anastazja Malecka( 50/500 Freestyle) and Siobhan Smith (100 Backstroke), were the senior celebrated last Tuesday. 

“There’s no taper for regular season meets,” said Demace, “but taper starts for the swimmers for SWC and State meets.” Tapers mean the swimmers reduce their swimming intensity and volume in order to allow their bodies to rest for peak performance. This allows them to perform at their best for the November 1st (SWC Meet) and the upcoming States meet. 

“It exceeded my expectations, the juniors did a great job organizing everything,” said  Captain Skye Eannotti. “It was an exciting night for all the seniors.” 

Seniors get certain roles on senior night that makethe night more special. Demace said, “seniors get the privilege to make the lineup for events… they make it the best they can.” This means the seniors get to pick and choose who they want to swim in each event and where they

want to place themselves. At the end of the night, each senior walked out with their parents, listened to speeches, took pictures, and had food and desserts. 

Though the final score was in Trumbull’s favor, many Masuk swimmers swam personal bests and got closer to achieving qualifying times for the South-West Conference (SWC) Championships. Some example qualifying times are 31.99 for 50 Free, 1:18.99 for 100 Butterfly, and 6:30.99 for 500 freestyle. These are some of the many difficult times these swimmers listed previously have achieved. Anastajza Malecka qualified for the 50 Free with a 30.03, Betty Glus qualified for the 100 Butterfly with a 1:18.53, and Skye Eannotti and Betty Glus qualified for the 500 freestyle at this meet with 6:11.06 and 6:24.93. 

“Going into it, we knew they were a tough team, and even though we lost, I think the meet went very well,” said senior captain Skye Eannotti 

Senior captain Grace Sheppard said, “I hope we can be successful in championships, states, and SWCs, and hope all the girls can make the times they need to qualify.” They all have high hopes of qualifying and excelling in the remaining meets. 

“Senior night is a big deal for our team, so it was really exciting to see everything come together,” said senior captain Sienna Jones . “We’ve grown so much together, and I’m hoping to leave the season off on a good note.” 

Many seniors hope to have a beneficial last meet. “As we finish our last meet, I hope that my teammates try their hardest to make the best times for the championship,” said Jones. As the SWC and state meets approach, the swimmers remain focused on their goals, yet steady in the values they’ve built throughout the season. From cheering on each other at the wall to fun practices throughout the week. They hope to do great things in the upcoming years and maintain the values installed by the current seniors. 

For many of the seniors, their time with the Masuk swim team has shaped them far beyond the lanes of the pool. They’ve learned perseverance, leadership, and the value of teamwork, lessons they’ll carry with them into college and in life. While their final home meet may be behind them, their presence will continue through the pool for years to come.