By: Ramona Galvin ft. Jessica A. Dennehy
For the second consecutive season, the WEHS Girls Varsity Swim Team ended their 2024 dual meet season with an undefeated record of 7-0. This year, the team swam against these schools: Iroquois, Pioneer, Williamsville South, Lake Shore, Amherst, Cheektowaga, and Hamburg. Each of these individual victories led them to kick off their championship season seeded first in their Division as well as their Class.
By far, the most memorable dual meet of the season was the “Pink in the Pool meet against Amherst.” When asked why, Jessica Dennehy, a junior on the team said, “They [Amherst] would not stop playing ‘FE!N.’ Also, I qualified for champs with my best friend Ramona Galvin. Shoutout.” As Jessica previously mentioned, the iconic song “FE!N” by Travis Scott, played over 7 times during warm ups. In addition to this excitement, both rival teams collectively raised money for cancer research. However, it is important to note that out of the $1000 raised collectively, East contributed to over $700.
On October 19, 2024 the team traveled to Clearance for their ECIC Division ll Championship. Williamsville East came out victorious with a final score of 499. The girls swam fast with 18 personal bests and 4 total state cuts. Opening the meet was the 200-yard medley relay, consisting of Lauren Golden, Lennon Anderson, Lily Osterstrom, and Phoebe Risch. These young ladies swam an all time best and NYS qualifying time of 1:51:85. Other NYS cuts were swam by Phoebe Risch in the 50 freestyle, Lauren Golden in the 100 butterfly, and the 200-free relay consisting of Lauren Golden, Lennon Anderson, Lily Osterstrom, and Phoebe Risch.
It was a tough 2 weeks of training before the team traveled to North Tonawanda on October 30, 2024 for their Section VI Class B Championships. The sheer size of the team was notable, as the 19 qualifying swimmers easily intimidated the smaller schools. The girls were highly motivated by the incentive of free T-shirts, and after a long, chilly night of swimming, Williamsville East came out on top with a final score of 462.
As the 2024 season comes to a close, the Williamsville East Girls Swim Team has proven their strength, dedication, and teamwork both in the pool as well as outside of the pool. The team has set a high bar for excellence, and will undoubtedly carry their momentum through states. The future looks bright for this young team.