Can’t Beat Brown

The junior placed first in the 500-yard and 200 freestyle events, and was also a member of the 400 free relay that took the top spot.

“Caroline has been taking charge of the team’s distance events thus far this season,” head coach Craig Brierley said of Brown, who was named by the captains as the swimmer of the meet. “And at practice, she has been excited to work hard, trying to improve every day.”

The Bonackers came out hot, taking the top three spots in the first relay for a 10-4 lead, which the girls would not relinquish.

East Hampton took first in nine out of the 11 events and won the overall scoring in all 11.

“During the week, the girls did the second of three 500-yard time trials as a test to challenge them on their endurance and on their ability to maintain good swimming skills on a longer swim,” Brierley said. “They displayed the competitive racing skills they have been working hard on in practice.”

It’s a bounce-back for the Bonackers’ first League III meet of the year. East Hampton had lost two close nonleague matches to start the season — 95-88 to Ward Melville and 88-82 to Northport/Commack — while the Lions won their two nonleague matches against Lindenhurst and Deer Park/North Babylon.

Brown finished the 500 in six minutes, 09.71 seconds and the 200 in 2:15.04.

She went third on the relay team of Jane Brierley, Emily Dyner, and Catalina Badilla (4:15.57). Badilla, who met the Suffolk County championships qualifying time for the 100 backstroke with her 1:07.08 time, placed first in the 100 freestyle (1:00.28), also qualifying for counties in that event, and was a member of the first-place 200 medley relay (2:01.53). That quartet also consisted of Brierley, Kiara Bailey-Williams, and Julia Brierley. Julia Brierley placed first in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:32.90, and earned her own Suffolk County qualifying time in the 100 breaststroke, finishing in 1:16.76. Jane Brierley completed the 50 freestyle in the top spot in 26.57. The 200 freestyle of Bailey-Williams, Dyner, Julia Brierley, and Corrina Castillo also ended atop the stat sheet (1:55.82).

The girls recently volunteered at the Montauk MightyMan Triathlon, and Brierley said his swimmers are already growing as a unit.

“It was a treat to see the girls having fun with each other and growing closer as friends as they gave up their time to help others,” he said.

East Hampton hosts West Babylon Thursday, October 3, at 5 PM at the YMCA East Hampton RECenter as part of homecoming.

desiree@indyeastend.com