The North Haven girls’ swimming and diving team was well-represented at the Southern Connecticut Conference Division I Virtual Championship that took place from Oct. 26 to Nov. 10.

This year, due to restrictions in place as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SCC Championship did not take place as it typically would with all the teams competing at one site. Instead, the 17 teams in the SCC competed at their respective home pools, after which the performances in every event were ranked in order score out the team standings for Division I and Division II, as well as the SCC overall. North Haven finished in fourth place with 894 points scored for the Division II meet and also finished fourth in the SCC outright with 700 points scored for those standings.

Senior Maddie Bergin finished her career at North Haven by taking second place in a pair of events at both the SCC Division A Championship and the SCC Championship. Bergin swam a time of 24.05 in the 50 freestyle to earn runner-up honors in the divisional and conference meets. In the 100 freestyle, Bergin went a time of 52.04 to finish second for the event in each meet. Bergin garnered All-SCC honors in both events and was additionally named the SCC Division I Athlete of the Year for girls’ swimming and diving.

Sophomore Alice Scalmani posted a lifetime-best time of 2:17.31 in the 200 individual medley to finish fifth in the division and seventh for the conference. Scalmani also finished with a season-best time of 1:12.03 in the 100 breaststroke to take fifth place in the division and seventh in the conference for that event, too.

Sophomore Mikayla Rapuano turned in solid showings in the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke for North Haven. In the 100 butterfly, Rapuano swam a lifetime best of 59.63 to place fifth in both the Division I Championship and the SCC Championship. Rapuano also notched a mark of 1:02.27 in the backstroke to finish fifth in the division and sixth in the conference.

Junior Chandler Ceste-Martinez delivered a nice performance in the diving competition. Ceste- Martinez scored a total of 269.95 points in the diving to finish sixth in Division I and ninth among all competing SCC divers.

Senior Riley Jooss swam a season-best time of 2:02.85 in the 200 freestyle to finish 10th in the division and 12th for the conference. Jooss also finished 10th in the division and 11th in the SCC by recording a time of 5:33.95 in the 500 freestyle.

Junior Giulia Faulkner claimed ninth place in the 200 individual medley for the divisional meet with a time of 2:23.36 and was also 13th in the SCC. Faulkner went on to swim a time of 5:37.36 in the 500 freestyle for 11th place in Division I and 12th place in the SCC.

Junior Brooke Nebor recorded a season-best mark of 1:05.18 in the 100 backstroke to take ninth in the division and 13th for the SCC. Senior Molly Coyle placed 12th in the division and 18th in the SCC for the 200 IM with her season-best time of 2:27.36.

Junior Taya Laborde finished with a 58.47 in the 100 freestyle to take 12th in the division and 14th in the SCC. Senior Alyssa Laborde went a 59.48 in the same event for 14th place in the division and 17th for the conference.

In the 50 freestyle, Taya Laborde swam a season-best of 26.73 to take 16th in the division and 20th in the conference. Alyssa Laborde swam a 27.27 for the event to finished tied for 19th in the division and tied for 27th in the SCC.

Junior Grace Finch recorded a lifetime best of 27.27 in the 50 free to finish tied with Alyssa Laborde for 19th in the division and tied for 27th in the conference. Finch also went a 1:02.82 in the 100 freestyle to take 19th in the division and 27th for the SCC.

Sophomore Makenzie Alogna swam a lifetime best of 2:33.31 in the 200 IM to finish 16th in the division and 24th in the conference. Alogna also went a lifetime best of 1:20.50 in the 100 breaststroke for 16th in the division and 26th in the SCC. Junior Abrielle Osborne turned in a lifetime best of 1:07.87 in the 100 butterfly to finish 20th in the division and 25th in the conference.

North Haven also saw three relays compete at the SCC meet. North Haven was represented by its 200 medley relay of Nebor, Scalmani, Rapuano, and Bergin (3rd in the division and 4th in the SCC at 1:53.86); its 400 freestyle relay of Jooss, Faulkner, Rapuano, and Bergin (4th and 4th at 3:45.83) and its 200 freestyle relay of Taya Laborde, Nebor, Jooss, and Faulkner (6th and 10th at 1:49.69).

A few days before North Haven participated in its SCC meet, Head Coach Martha Phelan’s squad competed against Daniel Hand and Lauralton Hall in its last virtual meet of the regular season on Senior Night. North Haven turned in its performances at Walter Gawrych Community Pool on Nov. 6, earning a 91-84 win over Hand and a 100-85 victory against Lauralton Hall to finish at 6-2.

Bergin had another huge meet by setting school records in both the 50 freestyle (23.78) and the 100 freestyle (51.95). Sophomore Victoria Pachnik recorded lifetime-best times in the 200 freestyle (2:21.93) and the 500 freestyle (6:20.30). In the 200 freestyle, Jooss did a season-best of 2:03.17 that she went on to eclipse at the SCC meet.