In Potsdam at SUNY Potsdam’s Maxcy Hall last Sunday
Canton Swimming is a storied program. They have not lost a regular season meet since 2011. They have won eleven consecutive sectional championships and were chasing their twelfth. It is a strong program with fast swimmers. Year after year the athletes compete with the best that Section X has to offer. And year after year, the Canton Swimmers rise to the occasion and race hard and race fast. And this year was no different. On November 5th, the Canton Swimmers took to the pool at Maxcy Hall to showcase their talent.
The meets started off with a bang with the 2022 Sectional Championship 200 Medley Relay of Alexis Stuntz, Kaitlyn Redfern, Maya Thomas, and Tessa Alguire back to try for a repeat performance. Stuntz was first in the water with her backstroke hoping to set a positive tone for the afternoon. Attacking her walls and pushing her stroke she finished her leg of the race in a personal best split of 28.80, a full second faster than her previous best. Redfern, Thomas, and Alguire then followed suit, pushing themselves and crushing the competition. The 200 Medley relay finished first in a new Section X Record time of 1:54.56 – a full 4 seconds faster than the same squad had gone the year before. This swim then set the tone for the rest of the meet.
In the 200 Freestyle, Gretchen Braun, Maya Thomas, and Maysa Moumen stepped onto the blocks in the final heat. When the race was done, Braun set a new Section X Record in the 200 free (1:51.57), Thomas (2:14.88) took third, and Moumen (2:25.95) took eighth. Two races done and two sectional records. Already a historic meet…. And there were still 9 races to go.
Next up was the 200 Individual Medley with Kaitlyn Redfern and Skyler Sanderson seeded first and third respectively. Redfern (2022 champion) once again showed her prowess in the 200 IM taking first in 2:10.08 with the third Section X Record of the day. Sanderson took third with a season best time of 2:32.51. In the 50 freestyle, Tessa Alguire defended her top seed-time by winning the race with a 26.24. Maeve Murphy (29.24) took 9th and Moumen (29.27) rounded out the Canton scoring with a 10th place finish. After four events, Canton had four first place finishers and three Section X Records! Things were looking good to repeat at Sectional Champions……
The next race, 100 Fly, saw the first of Canton’s 1-2 sweep with Braun (new Sectional Record: 57.84) and Thomas (1:07.26) taking the top honors. The 100 free was going to be a battle for Canton, as it was one of the two races where they were not the top seed. Alguire and Emma Vallance were the two Canton entries in this event and they both swam season best times. Alguire (58.03) finished second and Vallance (1:03.69) took seventh.
Following the 100 yard freestyle, is the 500 yard free. Twenty lengths of glory – the longest race on the high school swimming docket. The first heat of the 500 saw freshman Harper Terrell exhibit her strength. She was able to catch and pass another swimmer during the last 100 yards, swimming to a solid 9th place finish in 6:59.95. The final heat of the 500 pitted Stuntz against the top seed from St. Lawrence Central. Stuntz started strong and never looked back. She dropped an astounding 12 seconds from her seed time to take first in 5:28.57 (the second fastest time of all time by a Canton Swimmer).
The 200 Freestyle relay team of Moumen, Thomas, Alguire, and Braun secured another Canton victory in a time of 1:44.82. During the 100 back , Canton showed its depth with first (Stuntz: 1:01.75), fifth (Baylee Wilson: 1:13.61), and sixth (Vallance: 1:15.06) place finishers. In the penultimate race of the day, the 100 breaststroke, Canton once again swept 1-2. Redfern (1:08.24) set her second Section X Record of the day while Sanderson (1:19.39) took home the silver. Murphy (5th: 1:25.62) had an excellent showing as she dropped 5 seconds off her previous best.
With the meet in hand, the 400 freestyle relay team of Braun, Sanderson, Redfern, and Stuntz headed to the blocks for the final race of the day. Braun swam the first leg in a blistering 50.95 (Section X Record) and was closely followed by personal best times from the other three. When the waves had settled, the relay team had set an amazing seventh sectional record in the 400 freestyle relay with a time of 3:46.80.
The 2023 Section X Championships was a day to remember. There are eleven events competed in the meet. Canton won 10 of the 11 events, set 7 sectional records, qualified seven athletes for the NYSPHSAA State Meet, and won their 12th consecutive sectional title by over 100 points.
Canton Swimming is a storied program.
The 2023 team is one of the strongest to ever swim for this program.
It is a fitting end to the final season in the old pool as next year we will begin again in a brand new pool.
Section X Records
200 Medley Relay – 1:54.56 – Alexis Stuntz, Kaitlyn Redfern, Maya Thomas, Tessa Alguire
200 Freestyle – 1:51.57 – Gretchen Braun
200 Individual Medley – 2:10.08 – Kaitlyn Redfern
100 Butterfly – 57.84 – Gretchen Braun
100 Freestyle – 50.95 – Gretchen Braun
100 Breaststroke – 1:08.4 – Kaitlyn Redfern
400 Freestyle Relay – 3:46.80 – Gretchen Braun, Skyler Sanderson, Kaitlyn Redfern, Alexis Stuntz
First Team All-Northern
Tessa Alguire (200 medley relay, 50 free, 200 free relay)
Gretchen Braun (200 free, 100 fly, 200 free relay, 400 free relay)
Maysa Moumen (200 free relay)
Kaitlyn Redfern (200 medley relay, 200 IM, 100 Breast, 400 free relay)
Skyler Sanderson (400 free relay)
Alexis Stuntz (200 medley relay, 500 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 400 free relay)
Maya Thomas (200 medley relay, 200 free relay)
Second Team All-Northern
Tessa Alguire (100 free)
Skyler Sanderson (100 breast)
Maya Thomas (100 fly)
Athletes of Distinction (90.0 GPA for 4 Years)
Charlotte Colello, Maysa Moumen, Maya Thomas, Baylee Wilson
Complete Results