Norwich YMCA dolphins’ swimmer Alex Shtrauch swims in the 200 individual medley. (Photo from Coach Diefenbacher)

WATERTOWN – Over the weekend, the Norwich Family YMCA Dolphins swim team competed in the CNY YMCA District championships, held at the Watertown YMCA. Overall, the Dolphins did a great job and recorded 19 best times, dropping 39 seconds of collective time. The Dolphins also had one graduating senior, Aurora Shtrauch, who was recognized at her last District championship meet.

As a team, the eight and under girls 100 free relay swam an overall first place finish. The team of Reigan Aikins, Wren Fisher, Kennedy Foulds, and Nora Diefenbacher finished with a time of 1:19.25.

The girls all received rubber ducks to celebrate their achievement. In fact, all heat winners were awarded duckies as prizes at the meet.

Fisher, Aikins, Foulds, Diefenbacher, along with Mila Beltz, also took second place in the girls eight and under group overall. Aikins, Maggie Williams, and Nora Diefenbacher also were named district champions. Aikins achieved first place in the girls eight and under 100 freestyle event with a time of 1:30.16, dropping 1.88 seconds.

Williams finished atop the girls aged 9-10 50 freestyle with a best time of 31.12 seconds with teammate Kate Hull in sixth place (38.18). Williams also took second in the 100 freestyle with a time of 1:14.04 with Hull in sixth (1:25.59). Diefenbacher earned first place in the 25 backstroke event with a time of 20.46 seconds with Aikins coming in third place (22.20).

We are very proud of how all of our swimmers performed at this Championship meet. They have been working very hard and handled themselves very, very well at this large and competitive meet and it really came out in their races. We now train for the State Championship meet March 15, 16, 17.

-Information from the Norwich YMCA Dolphins swim team.