Quality quite often wins out over quantity when it comes to a collection of competitors in a club, and that was surely enough the case for the Haddam-Killingworth girls’ swimming and diving team for its 2023 campaign.

With Head Coach Alison Karam and assistant coach Steve Cusano, the Cougars and their dozen varsity swimmers amassed seven triumphs in nine regular-season meets. Then, at the Class S State Championships on Nov. 15 at Southern Connecticut State University, H-K posted a 15th-place finish with 136 points for the evening.

Karam recollected that when it comes to building up the collective acumen of the club, her staff takes everything with a one-on-one approach in building up each individual's skill set and talent pool.

“From the start of the team’s season, this team has proven to be small but mighty. To have a core team of 12 swimmers finish the season with a 7-2 record is phenomenal,” said Karam. “Our coaching goal is to move each swimmer to the next level of their own competitive ability. At the beginning of the season we assess each swimmer, then work on stroke technique, mechanics, endurance, and strength training to improve performance. The girls fill out goal cards so we understand their focus. And they learn to define success, as it relates to swimming, in terms of personal-best times.”

Speaking further to those personal high-water marks, the Cougars clocked in with numerous record-setting swims. That progress is due in large part to each girl looking deep inside themselves, staying present, in the moment, and staying steady through choppy moments.

“In three months, our swimmers got stronger, faster, and improved their stroke technique,” Karam said. “As a team, the girls swam 117 personal-best times this season. We also had a record 10 swimmers make state championships, which is great! But the mark of a great swimmer isn’t just what they do in the pool, it’s what they take with them out of the pool. And it's thrilling to watch these girls take the true value of competitive swimming–which is discipline, confidence, and a can-do mindset–and make it part of who they are in their everyday lives.”

Speaking further to their progress as a family, Karam commended her Cougars for corralling cohesion in all facets of the team’s inner community.

“They had team spirit: These girls work hard, swim hard, overcome challenges, go with the flow, laugh, cry, eat, sing, and have fun together,” said Karam. “They support each other and share experiences they'll remember forever. That's the stuff families are made of, and our H-K team is a swimming family. Each year we grow into a new swimming family. The old ones don't go away; the family just gets bigger.”

The Cougars were led to that warm atmosphere by senior captains of Peyton Tyler and Layla Hayward, plus the support of their classmate Emma Sajus and junior Liv Macaluso, who served as team leadership squad members. They helped plan several critical team-building events, along with a variety of H-K school festivities.

“Our captains deserve a ton of credit for the leadership and activities they planned this season,” said Karam. “Being team captain is not a reward, it's a responsibility. And it is a lot of work to plan so much fun, [such as] pasta dinners, a sleepover, bake sales, spirit wear, big sister-little sister swimmer matchups, etc. Also, the H-K girls’ swimming versus H-K football team swim meet is becoming an annual fundraiser for breast cancer research.”

The 12 swimmers that earned varsity status this year included freshmen Elsa Shatraw, Sophia Langer, Gianna Dabkowski, and Olive Forristall; sophomore Maggie Miller; juniors Macaluso, Olivia Campo, Sofia Campo, and Veronica Pypa; plus seniors Sajus, Hayward, and Tyler. Sophomore Sam Kukta was also on the program’s roster for this fall.

For postseason team awards, Sajus took home Most Improved Swimmer accolades. She swam personal-best marks in every event she competed in, and broke the 1:10 barrier for the 100 butterfly to claim the C finals heat for Class S by clocking in at 1:07.80. She also took part in three other events at states.

“Swimming is about setting goals and breaking barriers. Some barriers are physical, and some are mental,” said Karam. “Physical barriers you overcome by practice and mechanics.You improve your start, snap your turns, finesse your strokes, improve your technique, and build your strength and endurance. Overcoming the mental barriers takes courage, determination, and a can-do mindset.”

The Most Valuable Swimmer distinction was bestowed upon Macaluso. As H-K's first junior to serve on the team's leadership squad, Macaluso swam 4 events in states for the third consecutive campaign, while being the squad’s top point producer.

“Most valuable is determined not only by points scored, but by work ethic, leadership, and support of team members and coaches,” said Karam. “Liv not only practiced hard, she helped lead some practices, made automatic qualifying times for States in three individual events for the second year in a row, was willing to swim any event in a meet for the good of the team, had the highest point total for the team this season, and has the distinction of being the first junior to serve on the team leadership squad. Liv, we thank you for being a top competitor and most valuable teammate.”

The Cougars now say goodbye to a trio of terrific swimmers, who know what it takes to not only perform, but also excel on the state’s biggest stage. Still, the cycle repeats, and H-K will look to build upon the progress made in 2023 while introducing new members to its consistently warm and welcoming home.

“We have three graduating seniors who are all state championship-level swimmers. We will miss them,” said Karam. “But we will gain some exciting new swimmers next year and in the future, and our swim family will keep on growing.”