Undefeated Aquatics

With wins over Choate, Deerfield, Andover, Exeter, Hopkins, Northfield Mount Herman, and Division I three-peat champions Greenwich Academy, the Orangewomen swimmers and divers proved themselves to be a contender once again for regional and national honors in the 2019-2020 season. This was a team, according to Coach Andy Lowe, “that sported a perfect combination of depth and high-flyers, and one whose excellent team dynamic led to great results across the season.”

Led by three senior (Samantha Hagberg, Amanda Kikonyogo, Sophia Roche) and two junior captains (Maddy Lemza, Emma Krasemann), the twenty-plus member squad worked consistently across a near four-month season, including training trips to Naples, Florida and Bermuda, to achieve at a high level in dual and championship meet competition. 

Diving continued to be a strong suit for Suffield, as diving captain Krasemann was undefeated in dual-meet competition, besting a number of top four finishers from the 2019 championships along the way. Her supporting cast included three sophomores: Avery Rappaport, Erin Lally, and Lily Flint. Krasemann captured 5th place and Rappaport 7th place in the deeply talented field of divers at the Division I Championships hosted by Deerfield at season’s end. Krasemann (461.40) and Rappaport (401.60) bested their 11-dive totals from the previous year by a wide margin, with Krasemann’s mark establishing a new Academy record.

Another school record was set by new junior Erin Jachym, who swam to a 4:55.93 mark in the 500-yard freestyle, crushing a 30-year-old record—the oldest on the books—by more than five seconds. Jachym and teammates Roche, Hagberg, Nicole Boutry ’21, Salli Lubbe ’21, and Cambell Rosow ’23 sped to fast 2nd-place finishes in the 200- and 400-freestyle relays at the Division I Championships, while Roche, Lubbe, Boutry, and Anna Calkins ’23 earned 4th-place honors in the 200-medley relay at the same meet. Scoring key championship finalist points in individual events for the girls were Boutry (50, 100 free), Hagberg (100 fly, 100 back), Roche (50 free, 100 back), Karrah Hayes (200 IM, 500 free), Lubbe (200 free, 100 fly), Calkins (100 breast), and the aforementioned Jachym (200, 500 free). Notching key consolation final points were Lemza (100 breast), Sophia Tosone ’22 (200, 500 free), Calkins (200 IM), and Rosow (100 free, 100 back).

Excellent supporting effort and achievement was contributed by the other Tigerwomen swimmers, who each achieved personal bests during the season: Kikonyogo (sprint freestyle), Maeve Moylan ’22 (sprint freestyle), Steph Karmitz ’22 (fly/breast), Bella Lutton ’22 (free/breast), Sarah Phillips ’21 (back/fly), Emilia Boino ’23 (IM, breast), Alex Cieplinsky ’23 (free/back), Kira McCreesh ’23 (free/breast), Hope Clark ‘23, Catherine McCarthy ’22 (free/breast), and Hailey Suller ’22 (sprint free).