Rocky Point Club captures 10th straight Fairfield County Swimming League title

By David Fierro on August 11, 2023 • ( Leave a comment )

**Photo courtesy of Trudy Clark:** Rocky Point Club head coach Terry Lowe, center, jumps into the pool at the Wilton YMCA with Rocky Point swimmers Justin Norton, left and Kegan Clark after Rocky Point won the club title at the Fairfield County Swim League Championships on Aug. 5, 2023, in Wilton, Connecticut.

Winning the club title at the Fairfield County Swimming League Championships is certainly nothing new to Rocky Point Club.

When the FCSL Championships took place this past Saturday at the Wilton YMCA, Rocky Point Club of Old Greenwich excelled once again, producing fantastic finishes throughout the much anticipated, 28-club meet.

Rocky Point Club continued its winning tradition, finishing first in the club standings at the annual FCSL Championships with a score of 1,234.50 points at the Wilton YMCA. The victory marked the 10th straight time that Rocky Point Club won the FCSL championship meet.

Roxbury Swim & Tennis Club, based out of Stamford, placed second in the team standings with 903.50 points, followed by Greenwich Water Club (606.50), Waveny Pool Club (543.50) and Shore & Country Club (506). Roton Point Club (466), Newfield Swim & Tennis Club (408.50), Innis Arden Golf Club (359), Middlesex Club (293.50) and Lake Club (291) rounded out the top-10 finishers at the competitive 28-club meet.

Guided by legendary coach Terry Lowe, the longtime coach of the Greenwich High School championship boys swimming team, Old Greenwich’s Rocky Point Club made its mark in nearly every event at the 2023 Fairfield County Swimming League Championships.

**Photo courtesy of Trudy Clark:** Rocky Point Club competitors gather at the pool deck at the Wilton YMCA after winning the title at the Fairfield County Swim League Championships on Aug. 5, 2023, in Wilton, Connecticut.

Rocky Point won the opening event of the FCSL Championships – the boys 17-and-under 200-meter short course medley relay. Jackson Waters, Callum Holl, Kegan Clark and Chase DeVries combined for a winning time of 2:13.69 for Rocky Point. In the girls 17-and-under 200-meter short course medley relay, Roxbury Swim & Tennis Club took top honors. Parker Schatz, Michelle Weissler, Ava Burnstine and Brighid Dowling posting a championship time of 2:15.88. Rocky Point Club was the runner-up, as the foursome of Anna Whitridge, Ellison Charette, Emma Gustafsson and Linley Charette registered a time of 2:21.08.

Oliver Bjerke, representing Roxbury, touched the wall first in the boys 12-under 50-meter short course butterfly, clocking in at 32.63 seconds. Brody Michaels of Aspetuck was second (32.72), followed by Rocky Point’s Hudson Maciejewski (33.75). In the girls 12-and-under 50-meter short course butterfly, Norah Eldredge of Roxbury Swim & Tennis Club had a first-place finish in 33.15 seconds. Alden Charette of Rocky Point Club took second in 33.92, followed by teammates Olivia DeVries (34.38) and Anna Whitridge (34.70).

Ellison Charette gave Rocky Point a first-place finish in the girls 14-and-under 50 butterfly, winning the FCSL title in a time of 30.91 second. Siena Christiansen from Middlesex Club finished second (31.94). Sophia Burns, representing Greenwich’s Burning Tree Country Club placed third in the race (32.16), while Wesley Wales (Innis Arden Golf Club, 33.11) was fourth.

**Photo by Trudy Clark:** Senior swimmers from clubs across the Fairfield County Swimming League gather at the Wilton YMCA at the FCSL Championships, which was held on Aug. 5, 2023.

In the boys 17-under 50-meter short course butterfly, Kegan Clark of Rocky Point, a rising Greenwich High School senior, was the champion, touching the wall in 26 seconds. Rory Keller of Greenwich-based Millbrook Club earned a first-place finish in the girls 17-under butterfly. Keller swam to a winning time of 29.49. The boys 8-and-under 25-meter breaststroke saw Middlsex’s Jasper Gannon register a winning effort with a time of 24.09 seconds. Placing second was Adrian Nassa of Innis Arden (24.20.).

The girls 8-under 25 breaststroke was also a close race. Lucille Blanchett of Bailiwick Club was the race’s winner (24.09 seconds). Close behind was runner-up Sadie Hansen, representing Greenwich’s Riverside Yacht Club (24.19). Roxbury’s Parker Schatz captured first place in the girls 10-under 25 breaststroke (20.35), while Kevin Garcia of Weston Field Club was the winner in the boys 10-under 50 breaststroke (38.77). Dane Burnstine (Roxbury, 41.16) and Jackson Waters (Rocky Point, 41.64) were second and third, respectively.

Zadie Schatz (Roxbury) earned the first-place medal in the girls 12-and-under 50 breaststroke (37.82). Meredith McDermott took second for Greenwich Water Club (39.80) and Alden Charette (Rocky Point, 40.65) was third. Colin Bucaria (Greenwich Water Club) won the boys 14-and-under 50-meter breaststroke in 33.36 and Connor McMahon (Roxbury) placed second (33.41). Roxbury’s Ava Burnstine took top honors in the 14-under 50 breaststroke (37.60), while Rocky Point’s Kaleigh Murphy finished second (38.71) and Burning Tree Country Club’s Sophia Bens placed third (39.14).

**Photo courtesy of Trudy Clark**: Ellison Charette of Rocky Point Club won several events at the FCSL Championships.

In the boys 17-and-under 50-meter breaststroke, Greenwich Water Club’s Aiden Bucaria, a 2023 Greenwich High School graduate, won the race with a time of 29.96 seconds. Luke Mendelson, a Greenwich High student, posted a second-place finish for Rocky Point (31.55). Michelle Weissler (Roxbury) registered a winning time of 35.02 in the 17-under 50 breaststroke. Brody Michaels (Aspetuck) was the boys 12-under 100 IM champion (1:14.89) and Jackson Waters (Rocky Point) was the race’s runner-up (1:15.42). Roxbury Swim & Tennis Club’s Zadie Schatz touched the wall first in the 12-under 100 IM (1:14.40), while Olivia DeVries of Rocky Point placed second in 1:15.66).

Colina Bucaria earned a first-place finish for Greenwich Water Club in the 14-under 100 individual medley, posting a time of 1:06.54. Middlesex’s Charles Hendrickson finished second (1:07.94) and Rocky Point’s Henry Wise (1:09.18) was third. The girls 14-and-under 100 IM saw Ellison Charette produce a winning effort for Rocky Point Club (1:09.89). Aiden Bucaria (Greenwich Water Club, 59.04) was the 17-under 100 IM champion. Felix Flakstad took second in the 100 IM for Rocky Point (1:01.12), while Luke Mendelsohn placed third (1:01.50).

Rory Keller (Millbrook) posted championship honors in the girls 17-under 100 IM 1:10.13) and Michelle Weissler (Roxbury, 1:11.16) was the runner-up in the event. In the girls 12-under 50-meter backstroke, Zadie Schatz (Roxbury) captured the title, producing a time of 34.33 seconds. Alden Charette of Rocky Point Club earned second-place accolades (35.35). Ellison Charette (Rocky Point) was the 14-under 50 backstroke champion, touching the wall in 33.04 and Felix Flakstad, also of Rocky Point, took top honors in the 17-under 50 backstroke (28.95).

**Photo by Trudy Clark**: Kegan Clark of Rocky Point Club, left and Aiden Bucaria of Greenwich Water Club congratulate each other after a race at the Fairfield County Swimming League Championships, held at the Wilton YMCA.

The girls 17-and-under 50 backstroke winner was Millbrook Club’s Rory Keller (31.98). Michael Lowham of Country Club of Darien won the FCSL title in the boys 8-under 25 freestyle (16.79) and Neville Warburton (Greenwich Water Club) finished second in 17.15. In the girls 10-and-under 50 freestyle, Roxbury’s Brighid Dowling claimed the FCSL title (31.02). Mimi Hayes (Silver Spring Country Club, 32.13) had a second-place finish, Molly Melcher (Greenwich Water Club, 34.02) took third and Linley Charette (Rocky Point, 34.30). Brody Michaels (Aspetuck Valley Country Club, 29.65), Carsten Wang (Roxbury, 30.08) and Jackson Waters, Rocky Point, 30.16) finished first to third, respectively, in the boys 12-under 50 freestyle. Lars Gustafsson of Rocky Point finished fourth in the race (30.28).

Olivia DeVries captured first-place honors for Rocky Point in the 12-under 50 freestyle (29.81) and teammate Anna Whitridge was a close second (29.90). In the boys 14-and-under 50 freestyle, CJ Johnson (Bailiwick) won the race with a time of 26 seconds and Colin Bucaria (Greenwich Water Club, 26.45) was a close second. Wesley Wales of Innis Arden was the girls 14-under 50 freestyle winner (28.14 seconds), whle Sophia Bens (Burning Tree Country Club, 29.10) finished second.

The boys 17-and-under 50 freestyle saw Aiden Bucaria (Greenwich Water Club) win the race in an FCSL meet record time of 51.66 seconds. Kegan Clark (Rocky Point Club, 53.25) placed second and Felix Flakstad (Rocky Point, 54.44) was third in the 50 freestyle. Julia Stidolph (Roton Point Club, 1:03.68) was the FCSL 17-under 100 freestyle champion, Emmo Peloso (Shore & Country Club, 1:03.88) finished second and Lauren McCauley (Millbrook Club, 1:04.15) was third.

**Photo by Trudy Clark:** Jackson Waters of Rocky Point Club competes at the recent FCSL Championships.

The final races of the FCSL meet were the boys 17-under 200 freestyle relay and the girls 17-under 200 freestyle relay. Rocky Point’s William Kampf, Hudson Maciejewski, Henry Wise and Luke Mendelsohn combined for a championship time of 1:59.45 in the 17-under 200 freestyle relay. In the girls 17-under 200 freestyle relay, Anabelle Guarnera, Lily Guarnera, Meredith McDermott and Molly Melcher, representing Greenwich Water Club were the champions (2:05.93). Rocky Point Club’s Abigail Woods, Olivia DeVries, Lily Norton and Tess Furno gave Rocky Point Club a second-place finish (2:06.71).

Aiden Bucaria of Greenwich Water Club was the FCSL Championships’ 2023 Newcombe High Point winner. His FCSL record-setting time in the 100 freestyle gave Bucaria the meet’s high point award. Prior to the FCSL Championships, the FCSL Division meets were held.

Rocky Point Club won the Division I club title, Greenwich Water Club was the Division II winner, Lake Club took the Division III title, Weston Field Club was the Division 4 champion, Belle Haven was the Division 5 winner and Silver Spring Country Club took the Division 6 title.