The Mahopac-Carmel-Putnam Valley girls varsity swim team opened its season at home Monday, Sept. 14, against Ardsley-Dobbs Ferry. While MPVC ultimately fell 96-74, the final score did not tell the whole story. The meet was competitive from start to finish, with several impressive performances, multiple swimmers approaching state-qualifying times and one swimmer earning the team’s first state cut of the season.
MPVC got off to a strong start by taking first place in the 200-yard medley relay. Chloe Forger of Mahopac led off in the backstroke, followed by Elisabeth Knuth of Putnam Valley in the breaststroke, Kira Furfaro of Mahopac in the butterfly and Keira Troccoli of Carmel in the freestyle. The foursome came extremely close to the state-qualifying standard, setting the stage for what the team hopes will be a state cut in the near future.
In the 200 freestyle, Furfaro turned in a strong second-place finish, with Adelina Loza of Carmel taking fifth and Kylie Quackenbush of Mahopac sixth. Knuth followed with a third-place finish in the 200 individual medley, while Mahopac’s Alyza Laufman and Olivia Brady finished fourth and sixth, respectively.
The 50 freestyle was another highlight. Forger was chasing a state-qualifying time and narrowly missed the standard but still powered her way to a first-place finish. Troccoli added a third-place finish.
The event also gave several newcomers their first opportunity to compete at the varsity level. Mahopac Middle School swimmers Abigail Long, Emmalyse Colon and Olivia Telasco all took to the blocks in the 50 freestyle and gained valuable meet experience, as did Maria Antunez and Zabria Pelobello, both freshmen at Putnam Valley.
After the break, Furfaro continued her strong meet with a second-place finish in the 100 butterfly. Jarrett finished fifth and is already making an impact in her first season with the team. The newcomer has quickly established herself as a strong and versatile addition to the MPVC lineup.
Laufman added another second-place finish in the 100 freestyle before Troccoli turned in one of the meet’s strongest swims in the 500 freestyle. Troccoli dominated the event, earning first place while coming within striking distance of a state-qualifying time.
MPVC continued its momentum in the 200 freestyle relay, with Knuth, Jarrett, Laufman and Furfaro combining for a first-place finish. The second MPVC relay team of Loza, Allison Calvert of Mahopac, Brady and Laura Svrcek of Mahopac finished fourth.
The 100 backstroke brought perhaps the biggest accomplishment of the afternoon. Forger delivered a standout swim and became the first MPVC swimmer of the season to achieve a state-qualifying time. Her performance gave the team something to celebrate and provided plenty of motivation for the remainder of the season.
Knuth then added another first-place finish in the 100 breaststroke. She came close to the state-qualifying standard, continuing her strong start to the season. Knuth qualified for the state championships in the breaststroke last year, and MPVC has high hopes that she will once again earn a spot at the championships this season.
The meet wrapped up with the 400 freestyle relay. Forger led off, followed by Jarrett, Loza and Troccoli, with the team earning a second-place finish.
Although MPVC came up short on the scoreboard, the season opener provided plenty of reasons for optimism. From Forger’s state-qualifying performance and the team’s numerous near-cuts to strong swims from returning athletes and promising performances from newcomers, MPVC showed that it has the talent and determination to make an impact this season.
Article courtesy of Erica Burlenski
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