As they all walked off the bus at their championship site, Severn coach Erin Domenech overheard some of her seniors talking about the same things that were important to them on Day 1 as well. They were finally able to have a season. They’d get in the water and have fun and appreciate the blessing of it all.
The Admirals did just that and it propelled them to the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B Conference title at the Mangione Aquatic Center in Baltimore on Sunday.
The captains anchored a mostly young team both in the pool and out, Domenech said, and that’s what led them to success.
“The captains just took over, made sure the girls were doing practice if we were scheduled in the afternoon or drylands every Monday,” Domenech said. “They all hung in there together and just tried to do the best they could and take advantage of the opportunity they had.”
Severn collected 434 points to capture its first title since 2014 and fifth overall. It did so with only two individual wins — sophomore Aliza Monaldo, in the 200-yard freestyle (1:54.54) and 500 free (5:11.49) — as well as two relay wins, the 200 and 400 frees.
Fourteen Admirals scored, including those who knew they weren’t swimming in the fastest heats.
“They knew wherever they were, it was important to finish the best they could,” Domenech said, “and obviously, they did, because they scored. That’s what we needed. The depth was pretty strong for us.”
The Admirals add to what is already an impressive trophy haul at the Severn School this year. The girls swim team joins boys soccer, girls soccer, girls and boys cross country with titles.
And the girls team has every chance to repeat next year with strong figures such as Monaldo and freshman Kenzie Getz, who placed second in the 100 free, 50 free and anchored both winning relays, returning.
“We’re just so thankful they’re able to have a complete season,” Domenech said, “and work at practice and be able to compete, everything they worked at.”
Key senior Fiona Schere joined Severn in glory. The UCLA commit defended her titles in the 50 free (23.33), where she set an IAAM record, and the 100 free (51.13), where she already holds the IAAM record.
St. Mary’s led by one point heading into the final event of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association B Conference championship. A second-place relay finish, however, ultimately awarded the top spot to Beth Tfiloh and handed the Saints the team silver.
St. Mary’s brought an unusual team to Owings Mills on Wednesday. The defending 2019 champions ascended to the A Conference in 2020 and returned to the B in 2021. In 2020, the Saints deployed six club swimmers.
In 2022, it carried one.
Joe Hayburn already set milestones this past year as he journeyed to the Olympic swimming trials in June 2021 and then became the first boy from St. Mary’s and the county to capture a National Catholic record this season.
He did it again Wednesday. The second-to-youngest boy of a family swimming dynasty cruised to wins in the 200 free as well as the 100 back, which earned him three marks: an All-American qualifying time, an MIAA Conference record and, perhaps most sweet of all, a McDonogh pool record, done so without a single McDonogh swimmer in the water.
“He is now the only B Conference swimmer to now hold an MIAA record,” coach Allyson Reiter said. The last was Tyler Christianson of Sts. Peter and Paul in Easton, who went on to compete for Panama in the Olympics.
As for the other swimmers, well, they’re not just swimmers in the winter. Gavin Drucis wrestles while his brother, Jack, and Kam Ross run indoor track. Alex Pickett and Nico Tollefson play hockey. It’s an incredibly difficult symbiosis that would be difficult to achieve at a larger school than St. Mary’s, and yet, it worked.
Jack Drucis finished fourth in the 200 IM and third in the 100 breast while Charlie Towers took third in the 50 free and sixth in the 100 free. The Saints’ 200 medley relay placed third as did the 200 free relay and, as mentioned, the 400 free relay took silver.
“We’re scrappy,” Reiter said. “…I’m a numbers gal. Out of the 24 potential podium spots, we had four podiums. This represents where we can and will continue to do well in the B.”
She continued, “Those kids worked hard. McDonogh and these other places, they leave it to their firsts. We relied on our 1-2 or trying to get all three in the top 10. That’s our really good summer league swimmers. And that’s what we have.”
