Printer Friendly Version - Nighthawks’ Girls’ Swim Team Places 10th in States

Senior Mikayla Rapuano finished second in both the 100 butterfly and the 200 individual medley when the North Haven girls’ swimming and diving team competed in the Class M State Championship meet on Nov. 14. Photo by Wesley Bunnell/The Courier

Senior Alice Scalmani took third place in the 200 IM and placed sixth in the 100 breaststroke to help the Nighthawks finished 10th as a squad in the Class M State Championship meet hosted at Southern Connecticut State University last week. Photo by Wesley Bunnell/The Courier

The North Haven girls’ swimming and diving team competed in its second postseason meet of the year when the Nighthawks participated in the Class M State Championship last week. North Haven finished in 10th place among the 20 clubs that took part in the meet by posting a team score of 251 points at the State Championship, which was hosted at Southern Connecticut State University on Nov. 14. Pomperaug finished in first place by scoring 707.5 points at the meet, while Guilford came in second place with a team score of 564.5 points.

Senior Mikayla Rapuano claimed second place in two events for North Haven at last week’s Class M State Championship meet. Rapuano earned runner-up honors for both the 200 individual medley and the 100 butterfly at states.

In the 200 IM, Rapuano swam a time of 2:11.92 to take second place, only finishing behind senior Olivia Herbert of Bethel-Immaculate with a time of 2:07.57. Rapuano also snagged second place in the 100 butterfly by recording a time of 58.44, placing behind Herbert, who finished with a mark of 57.44.

Senior Alice Scalmani posted a pair of quality performances for Nighthawks in the state meet. Scalmani finished in third place for the 200 individual medley after swimming a time of 2:13.54 in the event. Later in the meet, Scalmani earned sixth place in the 100 breaststroke by hitting the finish line with a time of 1:09.35.

North Haven saw all three of its relays compete at the Class M State Championship. The Nighthawks’ 400 freestyle relay turned in the best showing by claiming sixth place with a time of 3:57.12. North Haven’s quartet featured Rapuano, sophomore Giada Garofalo, junior Madisen Karavas, and Scalmani.

The Nighthawks’ 200 medley relay of senior Makenzie Alogna, Scalmani, Rapuano, and Garafalo came in ninth place with a time of 1:58.19 at states. North Haven’s 200 freestyle relay of Karavas, Alogna, sophomore Amelia Bautz, and senior Tara Stoeffler finished in 14th place with a time of 1:53.84.

Alogna also finished in 16th place for the 100 backstroke by swimming a time of 1:09.17 for North Haven in the state meet. Karavas took 21st place in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:08.97 for the Nighthawks. Karavas also posted a time of 2:12.62 in the 200 freestyle to finish in 24th place for the event. Freshman Julia Scalmani finished 24th for the 200 IM with a mark of 2:35.39.

North Haven’s swimmers had qualified for the state finals by virtue of their performances at the Class M State Qualifying meet that took place at Southern Connecticut State University on Nov. 11. Every swimmer who placed in the top 24 of an event advanced to the championship.

Rapuano finished second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:12.96 for the Nighthawks at State Qualifying meet. Rapuano also took second place in the 100 butterfly by finishing with a time of 59.82.

Scalmani claimed third place in the 200 IM by swimming a time of 2:13.81 for North Haven in the qualifier. Scalmani also finished in sixth place for the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:09.29.

The Nighthawks’ 400 freestyle relay of Rapuano, Garafalo, Karavas, and Alice Scalmani finished in sixth place (3:57.46) at the Class M Qualifying meet. North Haven’s 200 medley relay of Alogna, Alice Scalmani, Rapuano, and Garofalo finished in ninth place (1:57.70); while the 200 freestyle relay featuring Karavas, Alogna, Bautz, and Stoeffler finished in 15th place (1:54.33).

Alogna finished 16th in the 100 backstroke (1:08.72) and placed 34th in the 100 freestyle (1:02.12) for the Nighthawks. Karavas took 18th place in the 200 freestyle (2:10.22) to go with a 23rd-place showing in the 100 butterfly (1:09.17). Julia Scalmani finished in 24th place in the 200 IM (2:32.89) and also finished 27th in the 100 breaststroke.

Senior Tara Stoeffler finished in 30th place for both the 200 freestyle (2:16.17) and the 500 freestyle (6:07.45) at the state qualifier. Fellow senior Victoria Pachnik finished 32nd in the 500 freestyle (6:11.28) and also came in 33rd place for the 200 freestyle (2:17.29).

Garafalo finished in 33rd place in the 100 freestyle (1:02.05) for the Nighthawks in the qualifying meet. Sophomore Angelina Valentino finished in 35th place in the 100 breaststroke (1:33.25) on behalf of Head Coach Ken Pierson’s squad.

A few days before the swimming portion of the Class M meet took place, the Class M Diving State Championship was held at Middletown High School on Nov. 12. Sophomore Daniella Rapuano participated in the diving competition and totaled a score of 316.80 points for her 11-dive performance to take eighth place for North Haven. Rapuano tallied points that counted toward the team’s overall total at states with her eighth-place showing. Junior Meghan DeRubeis also qualified to compete in the Class M diving meet for the Nighthawks