By David Miles, Sports Correspondent
Led by the indomitable Hiller sisters, Issy and Madeline, the Woodstock Swim Team recorded an impressive second place finish in its division in the annual Vermont Swim Association 2015 Championships at the UVAC Pool in nearby Hartford. Both Hillers won three of their four individual races, with a high point finish in their other race as well.
Twelve-year-old Issy triumphed in the 50-yard breaststroke, 100yard breaststroke, and the 100-yard individual medley. Her 100-yard breaststroke time of 1:10.96 was not only over eight seconds ahead of runner-up Emily Asciutto of the Manchester Triton Swim Team, but it also set of new state record, besting a mark that had stood for eight years.
In Issy’s final competition she was the youngest swimmer by two years in a 12-person field. She still placed third in the event with a time of 5:51.77, not far behind race winner Isabella Harrison, a 16-year old swimmer from St. Albans.
Fourteen-year-old Madeline demonstrated her versatility by pacing the field in three different disciplines, the 200-yard freestyle, the 100-yard breaststroke and the 100yard individual medley. She also claimed second place in the 100yard butterfly, only 0.58 seconds behind Maddie Cholewa of the Edge Swim Club.
“It was great to end the season on such an incredible note,” said coach Alex Vutech. “They accomplished so much and it was a joy to see them grow and improve as swimmers.”
Vutech was referring not only to swimmers like the Hillers, but those who improved so well from meet to meet, like Jane Lackley who shaved over eight seconds off her time in the100-yard individual medley in just one week between districts and states. In a meet where some events had sixty to eight swimmers, the times mean a great deal more to the coach than the actual placement in the field.
This article first appeared in the August 6, 2015 edition of the Vermont Standard.
The Woodstock results from the two-day event are as follows:
GIRLS INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Girls 7-8, 25-yard free: 17th – Sarah Lackley (20.91), 19th – Laurel Benson (21.04), 20th – Amelia Peters (21.26), 39th – Georgia Perkins (24.27), 40th – Rory Perkins (24.32), 45th – Annesonia Beardsley (24.84), 46th – Sola Minotti (25.19), 56 – Abigail Galton (28.25), 58th – Priscilla Richardson (30.15) Girls 7-8, 50-yard free: 11th – Amelia Peters (45.26), 24th – Georgia Perkins (53.34), 30th – Rory Perkins (59.84) Girls 7-8, 25-yard backstroke: 10th – Amelia Peters (24.94) 13th – Abigail Galton (25.37). 17th – Sarah Lackley (26.01), 29– Annesonia Beardsley (27.17), 36th – Georgia Perkins (29.44), 37th – Rory Perkins (29.95) Girls 7-8, 25-yard breaststroke: 3rd – Laurel Benson (25.25), 6th – Sarah Lackley (26.14), 13th – Abigail Galton (28.11), 22nd – Sola Minotti (32.56) Girls 7-8, 100-yard individual medley: 6th – Laurel Benson (1:59.03), 7th– Sarah Lackley (2:00.26) Girls 9-10, 25-yard free: 38th – Isabelle Benson (18.20), 43rd – Mikayla Myers (18.46) Girls 9-10, 50-yard free: 22nd – Mikayla Myers (38.70), 38th – Libby Galton (41.04) Girls 9-10, 25-yard breaststroke: 20th – Mikayla Myers (23.26), 41st – Isabelle Benson (24.71), 52nd – Libby Galton (25.73) Girls 9-10, 25-yard butterfly: 19th – Libby Galton (19.29), 23rd – Mikayla Myers (19.92) Girls 9-10, 100-yard individual medley: 22nd – Libby Galton (1:43.70), 26th – Isabelle Benson (1:48.88) Girls 11-12, 50-yard free: 23rd – Jane Lackley (33.24), 51st – Kelly Jackson (35.64) Girls 11-12, 100-yard free: 14th – Jane Lackley (1:13.52), 15th – Brandy Lewis (1:13.71), 21st – Morgan Myers (1:15.14) Girls 11-12, 200-yard free: 7th – Brandy Lewis (2:38.93) Girls 11-12, 50-yard backstroke: 7th – Coco Wood (35.43), 32nd – Kelly Jackson (40.98), 37th– Morgan Myers (41.45) Girls 11-12, 100-yard backstroke: 2nd – Coco Wood (1:18.26), 19th – Morgan Myers (1:32.19) Girls 11-12, 50-yard breaststroke: 1st – Issy Hiller (33.16) Girls 11-12, 100-yard breaststroke: 1st – Issy Hiller (1:10.96), 18th – Brandy Lewis (1:34.25), 21st – Morgan Myers (1:35.71) Girls 11-12, 100-yard butterfly: 7th – Coco Wood (1:30.64), 9th – Jane Lackley (1:34.37) Girls 11-12, 100-yard individual medley:1st – Issy Hiller (1:08.80), 14th – Coco Wood (1:21.84), 18th – Jane Lackley (1:24.94), 25th – Brandy Lewis (1:27.39) Girls 13-14, 50-yard free: 32nd – Katey MacMaster (32.53) Girls 13-14, 100-yard free: 14th – Sidney Pilot (1:09.24), 19th – Katey MacMaster (1:12.37) Girls 13-14, 200-yard free: 1st – Madeline Hiller (2:07.44), 6th – Cassidy Lewis (2:29.20) Girls 13-14, 100-yard backstroke: 16th – Cassidy Lewis (1:24.00), 17th – Emily Haynes (1:24.43) Girls 13-14, 50-yard breaststroke: 7th – Sidney Pilot (37.32) Girls 13-14, 100-yard breaststroke: 1st – Madeline Hiller (1:11.67), 8th – Sidney Pilot (1:23.78), 16th – Katey MacMaster (1:32.99) Girls 13-14, 100-yard butterfly: 2nd – Madeline Hiller (1:06.30), 12th – Cassidy Lewis (1:20.26), 18th – Emily Haynes (1:25.89) Girls 13-14, 100-yard individual medley: 1st – Madeline Hiller (1:06.03), 16th – Sidney Pilot (1:16.32), 22nd – Cassidy Lewis (1:21.68), 25th – Emily Haynes (1:22.27), 28th – Katey MacMaster (1:25.29) Girls Open, 500-yard free: 3rd – Issy Hiller (5:51.77), 9th – Emily Haynes (6:55.98)
BOYS INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Boys 7-8, 25-yard free: 21st – Graham Fox (23.18), 32nd – Max Carey (29.11) Boys 7-8, 50-yard free: 16th – Graham Fox (52.73) Boys 7-8, 25-yard backstroke: 24th – Graham Fox (30.09), 29th- Max Carey (35.93) Boys 9-10, 25-yard free: 15th – Jaedon Beardsley (17.56), 29th – Jake Carey (19.48) Boys 9-10, 50-yard free: 14th – Jaedon Beardsley (38.94), 20th – Bode Wood (40.35), 21st – Jake Carey (41.12) Boys 9-10, 25-yard backstroke: 25th – Jake Carey (23.64) Boys 9-10, 25-yard breaststroke: 4th – Jaedon Beardsley (21.22), 23rd- Bode Wood (24.96), 30th – Jake Carey (27.76) Boys 9-10, 25-yard butterfly: 11th – Bode Wood (20.15) Boys 9-10, 100-yard individual medley: 13th – Jaedon Beardsley (1:50.95) Boys 11-12, 50-yard free: 22nd – Riley Shepherd (35.66) Boys 11-12, 50-yard breaststroke: 5th – Riley Shepherd (41.48) Boys 11-12, 100-yard breaststroke: 5th – Riley Shepherd (1:29.48) Boys 11-12, 50-yard butterfly: 11th – Riley Shepherd (39.38) Boys 13-14, 200-yard free: 6th – Owen Coates (2:21.29) Boys 13-14, 100-yard backstroke: 6th – Owen Coates (1:18.92) Boys 13-14, 100-yard individual medley: 8th – Owen Coates (1:15.05) Boys Open, 500-yard freestyle: 4th – Owen Coates (6:29.35)
RELAYS
Girls 8 and under, 100-yard free: 6th – Woodstock [Georgia Perkins, Rory Perkins, Abigail Galton, Annesonia Beardsley] (1:44.15) Girls 10 and under, 100-yard free: 17th – Woodstock [Libby Galton, Amelia Peters, Sarah Lackley, Mikayla Myers] (1:18.39) Girls 10 and under, 100-yard medley: 15th – Woodstock [Sola Minotti, Isabelle Benson, Libby Galton, Mikayla Myers] (1:32.15) Girls 12 and under, 200-yard free: 5th – Woodstock [Coco Wood, Brandy Lewis, Jane Lackley, Issy Hiller] (2:06.35) Girls 12 and under, 200-yard medley: 5th – Woodstock [Coco Wood, Issy Hiller, Brandy Lewis, Jane Lackley] (2:24.06) Girls 14 and under, 200-yard free: 7th – Woodstock [Sidney Pilot, Katey MacMaster, Cassidy Lewis, Madeline Hiller] (1:59.65) Girls 14 and under, 200-yard medley: 8th – Woodstock [Madeline Hiller, Sidney Pilot, Cassidy Lewis, Emily Haynes] (2:18.91) Boys 10 and under, 100 yard frEE: 8TH – WOODSTOCK [JAEDON BEARDSLEY, Graham Fox, Jake Carey, Bode Wood] (1:17.23) Boys 10 and under, 100 yard medley: 5th – Woodstock [Jake Carey, Jaedon Beardsley, Bode Wood, Graham Fox] (1:36.88)