East Hampton’s girls swim team had two meets last week and won them both — a 101-82 victory over Ward Melville-Port Jefferson on the road on Oct. 13, and an 81-72 win over Deer Park-West Babylon-North Babylon at home last Thursday.
Craig Brierley, the head coach, called the first meet against Ward Melville, “a wonderful team effort against a strong opponent.”
Mia Milazzo, a Pierson sophomore, was the swimmer of the meet. She qualified for the Section XI meet in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:07.56.
“Mia has been focused and determined in working toward that goal, as shown in her efforts in training and the experience she’s gained in competition,” Brierley said in his weekly newsletter. “She is an awesome and supportive teammate, and the captains appreciate all she contributes to the team.”
Last Thursday, the swim team changed things up in a nonleague meet against Deer Park, placing girls in some unfamiliar events to help build their mental toughness and racing skills.
Before graduating, all of the swimmers on the team are required to compete in the 200-yard individual medley, which tests their ability to complete all four strokes and turns.
Maya Dias And Sky Hand, two of the team captains, completed the event for the first time, placing third (2:54.25) and fifth (3:32.55) respectively. “It was very exciting for them to do that and check that box,” Brierley said. “That was an awesome accomplishment for both girls.”
Nadia Binozi, a newcomer to the swim team, also stood out, swimming both the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle events. She took fourth in the 200, finishing in 2:49.33, and first in the 500, finishing in 7:56.65.
Vanessa Rizzo achieved a state-qualifying time of 54.10 in the 100-yard freestyle. She qualified for the state meet in the 100-yard backstroke the week before.
“This is probably my favorite event,” she said of the 100-yard free. “I really wanted to make it last year and I missed it by, I think it was .13. I was super happy because this time I made it first try. It was the first time I swam it all season.”
“She was ready for it today so she got it done,” Coach Brierley added, applauding all of the girls’ efforts last week. “They’re really getting the most out of our training and the speed is there and the rest of it is in the mind. We are working on that. They’re getting through it. They’re understanding what it takes, and they’re throwing it down when it’s time to race.”
