The 500-yard freestyle event at the 2025 CIAC Class LL Swimming Championships was an example of how dominant and deep Greenwich High School is, as it finished an eye-opening first to fourth in the race, amassing 108 team points in the process.

The Cardinals’ outstanding performance in the 500-yard freestyle race was just one of many highlights the team produced on their way to continuing their absolute dominance at another state championship meet.

Winning eight events and sparked by numerous other standout performances, Greenwich convincingly won the team title at the 2025 CIAC Class LL Championships with 1,038.5 points at Cornerstone Aquatics Center in West Hartford on Nov. 12th.

Norwalk/McMahon placed a distant second in the team standings at the competitive 19 team Class LL championships with 596 points. Conard (439), Fairfield Ludlowe (349) and Glastonbury (341) rounded out the top five teams at the state championship meet, which saw the Cardinals, coached by Brendan Heller, soar to their unprecedented 32nd Class LL team title.

The 500-yard freestyle was one of the most exciting races for the Cardinals and their faithful. Senior captain Melissa Geiger won the Class LL 500-yard freestyle title, registering a time of 5:03.71, giving GHS 30 points in the team standings. Junior Ellison Charette placed an extremely close second in the 500 freestyle, clocking in at 5:03.76, while Greenwich teammate Olivia DeVries, a sophomore, was third (5:08.41). Captain Ainsley Sahrbeck, a senior, took fourth in the 500 for the Cards, posting a time of 5:12.01.

Senior captain Wesley Wales won two individual events for Greenwich, touching the wall first in the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle. Wales captured the Class LL gold medal in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:51.71. Gracie Lowney, a Conard senior, was the runner-up (1:53.48) and GHS freshman Elsa Wang finished third in 1:55.32. Ainsley Sahrbeck (1:56.05) and Olivia DeVries (1:56.27) were fifth and sixth, respectively in the 200 freestyle for the Cards, who totaled 103 points in the event.

In the 100 freestyle, Wales earned top honors with a time of 51.75 seconds. Elsa Wang finished in fourth place for the Cardinals (54.58) and junior teammate Isadora Nassa was sixth in 55.07. Lily Norton, a Greenwich senior, posted a 10th-place finish in the 100 freestyle for the Cardinals, who scored 95 points in the race.

The Class LL finals began with Greenwich’s quartet of freshman Alden Charette, senior captain Isabel Guzman, Melissa Geiger and Annalie Whitridge combining for a second-place showing in the 200-yard medley relay (1:50.79). Norwalk/McMahon won the 200 medley title in 1:49.59.

Ellison Charette had a third-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley, recording a time of 2:10.16. Fairfield Ludlowe sophomore Ella Gussen earned the gold medal in the race with a time of 2:06.42 and Greenwich’s Isadora Nassa placed fourth in 2:13.76. Cardinals teammate Sara Jee, a sophomore, was fifth (2:14.49) and Isabel Guzman had a sixth-place finish (2:15.95). The 200 IM was also an exceptional event for GHS, which earned 98 points to its team total.

Junior Kensington Worden finished second in the 50-yard freestyle (24.07 seconds), which saw Manchester senior Riley Anderson win the race in a state/Class LL meet record time of 22.20 seconds. Annalie Whitridge (25.36) and Lily Norton (25.42) were sixth and seventh, respectively for Greenwich.

Greenwich was also ignited by its divers, which thrived on the 1-meter diving board, several days prior to the Class LL Swimming Championships. Alden Charette captured the Class LL diving title, earning 507.55 points over 11 rounds, giving Greenwich 30 points to its team total.

Clementine Whittle, a sophomore, placed sixth on the 1-meter diving board for the Cards (370.35), while teammate Olivia DeVito, a senior captain, was eighth (344.20). Greenwich sophomore Alina Khilko had a 10th-place finish in the diving finals (308.15). The Cardinals’ divers scored 91 points for the squad heading into the swimming portion of the Class LL championship finals.

In the Class LL 200-yard freestyle relay finals, Ellison Charette, junior Julia Kozma, sophomore Norah Eldredge and Lily Norton registered a winning finish, combining for a time of 1:40.58. Ludlowe was the race’s runner-up (1:42.51). Julia Kozma gave Greenwich a third-place finish in the 100 backstroke (58.13 seconds), Alden Charette was fourth (59.07), Annalie Whitridge took seventh (1:00.28) and GHS teammate Meredith McDermott, a freshman, placed eighth (1:02.13) in the event, which saw the team gain 93.5 points.

Kensington Worden earned the Class LL silver medal in the 100-yard breaststroke, clocking in at 1:07.15. Isabel Guzman gave GHS a fourth-place finish (1:07.87) and Sara Jee took sixth (1:09.79 for the Cards.

Fittingly, the Class LL Championships ended with another victory for the Cardinals, who swam to a winning effort in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Sara Jee, Isadora Nassa, Wesley Wales and Ainsley Sahrbeck raced to a gold medal time of 3:35.29.

With the FCIAC and Class LL team titles in their possession, the Cardinals will now look to complete what they hope, is a Triple Crown. Greenwich will look to capture the team title at the CIAC State Open Swimming Championships, which will take place on Nov. 16th at Yale University at 1 p.m.