Varsity Girls Swim Team Is Making Waves

The Panthers, who have secured team victories over Hamden Hall, Greenwich Country Day School and Canterbury, have benefitted from strong veteran leadership and talented newcomers. 

"Our captains (Ella Black ’25 and Gretta Hong ’25) are standouts in their leadership," said coach Rachel Noach, who also highlighted Emma Casey ’28, Jisella Jorsling ’28, Tereza Horvatova ’25 and Maddie Barnes ’26. "They have all been putting in the work." 

And the hard work has paid off. 

Jorsling, an eighth grader, smashed four school records: the 200 freestyle (1:57.47), 100 butterfly (1:00.86), 50 freestyle (24.53) and the 500 freestyle (5:24.23). Casey, a fellow eighth grader, has also been a key swimmer for Masters. 

"The eighth graders are really proving why they got moved up," Noach said.

Hong, Barnes, Jorsling and Annadele Dyott ’26 also set a new record in the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:47.16. 

But it hasn't been all about the elite performances for the Panthers, who have seen swimmers of all levels excel and get better this season.  
 
Noach said, "It's cool that we have club swimmers who are much more attached to the sport, dedicated and really work hard and know how the sport works — but then we have people in lanes five and six who never swam before and, by the end of the season, they're able to swim their best times and do strokes/events they never thought they could do. I enjoy lanes four, five and six because they're newer to the sport. Seeing them being able to change, evolve and learn the sport and start to get better and like it is always really exciting."

Masters will look to keep the positive momentum rolling as the season draws to a close. The Panthers will compete in the Fairchester Athletic Association championships on February 10 at Hopkins. 

"That's the championship meet for the whole team," Noach said. "Everyone gets to go, and everyone gets to swim. It's exciting to get that championship experience and be a part of something like that."