Last year, the Branford girls’ swimming and diving team battled West Haven to a tie in meet that Head Coach Scott Butler said “felt like a loss.” When the two clubs went up against each other last week, the Hornets were determined to make a statement by defeating the Blue Devils. On the strength of several first-place finishes and plenty of other proud performances, Branford earned a 101-80 home victory over West Haven at Walsh Intermediate Pool on Sept. 19. The Hornets improved to 2-0 on the year with the win.

“The girls were pumped up. They wanted to prove that they were a better team, and they certainly delivered,” Coach Butler said. “Everyone was excited anticipating the meet, and we went out in the first event and won the 200 medley relay. We made a statement right off the bat that we could do all four strokes better than they could.”

Branford set its triumphant tone by taking first place in the 200 medley relay against West Haven. The Hornets’ quartet of junior Melissa Juliano, sophomore Erika Barone, senior captain Cordelia Keberle, and junior Nicola Colossale finished first with a time of 2:04.42.

Keberle came right back to win the 200 freestyle in 2:13.26 with fellow senior Adrienne Dillon placing second at 2:14.96. In the 200 individual medley, Barone claimed victory by timing in at 2:24.53, while senior captain Gabby Gillis finished second with a time of 2:35.56. The Hornets held a 32-14 lead after the first three events and were on their way to the win.

Coach Butler also noted the performance of junior Shae Lepre in the 200 individual medley. Lepre swam a personal-best time of 2:48.11 to take fifth place and score a point for the Hornets. Butler said that Branford’s first-place performances were complemented nicely by several solid showings like the one from Lepre that displayed the team’s depth.

“We were able to spread our swimmers out throughout the meet to create depth, which is what you want,” said Butler. “So, we had all the first- and second-place finishes, but we also had the fourths and fifths that secured points. That means all of our swimmers were scoring varsity points in their races.”

Branford was bolstered by a first-place finish from sophomore Marina Giammattei in the diving competition. Giammattei got the nod for first by scoring 164.00 points on the board. Coach Butler said that Giammattei is determined to qualify for the Class M Diving State Championship this fall.

“Marina dove at Yale during the offseason and is coming in way ahead of where she was last year,” Butler said. “She’s starting to see the fruits of all the work that she’s put in over the last few years. Marina is a great asset to have, and the only direction that she’s going is up.”

Juliano sprinted her way to a couple of quality finishes for Branford. After placing second in the 50 freestyle (27.29), Juliano earned a first-place finish in the 100 freestyle with a time of 58.92, edging out teammate Gillis (59.39) by less than half-a-second.

Branford was in control with a 67-40 lead over West Haven following the 100 freestyle. Coach Butler said the highlight of the meet was watching two of his top sprinters engage in a little friendly competition by giving everything they had to try and win the event.

“Gabby is usually a half-second faster than Melissa, but Melissa touched her out at the end, and they were both surprised,” Butler said. “Those are the pleasant surprises that you look for, because now you know that they are both going to want it more. That will drive them and make them work even harder in practice, and those are the little things that make or break a swimming team.”

Branford also received a pair of victories from sophomore Rory Jacobson at the meet. Jacobson took first place in the 100 butterfly by swimming a time of 1:06.58 and also finished first in the 100 breaststroke at 1:19.82.

Fellow sophomore Erika Barone followed up her victory in the 200 individual medley by taking first place in the 100 backstroke with a mark of 1:06.32. Barone’s performance in the backstroke solidified the win for the Hornets by giving them a 90-63 lead with just two events remaining.

“Rory and Erika are a dynamic duo of sophomores. They can fill every role in the lineup and, no matter where I put them, they will be at the top and will give it their all,” said Butler. “Rory’s main event is the 100 butterfly, and her times this season are better than last year. Erika is such a competitor who goes out for the win every time. She’s looking to make a statement with every swim.”

In addition to her individual victories, Jacobson also joined forces with Dillon, Colossale, and Gillis to help Branford’s 200 freestyle relay take first place with a time of 1:40.01.

The final event of the meet, the 400 freestyle relay, was contested on exhibition basis since the Hornets already had the win in the bag. Branford’s unit of Keberle, Juliano, Barone, and Gillis still recorded the best time by finishing in 4:06.24. Keberle, Gillis, and fellow senior Brooke O’Leary are serving as Branford’s captains this season.

Keberle also took second place in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:58.13. Freshman Emma Hall came in second place at 6:58 for the Hornets.

In the 100 butterfly, Katie Parcell finished in second place by clocking in with a personal-best time of 1:44.66. Dillon finished second in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:21.32 to help Branford beat West Haven.

Coach Butler said that one of Branford’s goals is to improve upon last season’s record of 3-7-1. After quickly putting two wins in the books, the Hornets are in great shape to do that as they push their way into the heart of the campaign.

“The girls are gunning for a better record than last year and, as long things stay positive, we will attain it,” Butler said. “This is a great group of kids in and out of the water. The environment that they’re building and the relationships they’re making help everything go smoother for the team. It’s a great program to be a part of, and I’m lucky to be their head coach.”

From the Sidelines

Scott Butler is in his 13th season as head coach of the Branford girls’ swimming and diving team. Butler is assisted by diving coach Steve Sawyer, who’s in his eighth season with the program; and Caleb Isaacson, who joins the program after serving as an assistant for the Branford-Guilford boys’ swimming and diving team last year.

Prior to defeating West Haven, the Hornets stared off their season by earning an 87-80 road win over the East Haven-Wilbur Cross co-op squad on Sept. 14.

For the rest of the season, Branford has home meets versus Guilford, Law, Amity, Cheshire, and North Haven on its schedule. The Hornets also have road matchups against Shelton, Lauralton Hall, Foran, and Hand.