PWSL Week 1: Bridlewood BWaves vs Kingsbrooke Sea Lions
By: Contributor Brenten Gilbert
The Bridlewood Bridlewaves began their quest for a third straight Red Division Championship this season by hosting their perennial rivals, the Kingsbrooke Sea Lions. The morning started off with some cold temperatures in the air, but it didn’t take long for both teams to warm up and get the competitive juices flowing.
The BWaves managed to gain a slight advantage during the opening relays, claiming first place in seven of the eleven events, and held that lead throughout the meet. The teams remained closely matched – the slimmest lead being 6 points – before the BWaves finished strong, resulting in a 633 point victory. The final tally for the meet was 2938-2305.
The 11-12 Girls proved to be a force for Bridlewaves, setting the team records for the Freestyle and Medley Relays, en route to claiming the top times in the league for both events. The Medley Team consisting of Madalyn Witt, Maecy Wells, Cordelia Simms, and Makenzie Witt swam to a time of 1:06.21, while the Freestyle foursome replaced Simms with Ella Cypher to post an impressive 58.84 second performance.
Madalyn Witt also erased a six-year old team standard in the 50m Backstroke with a swift 34.49 second showing. On the Boy’s side, Paul Querijero lowered the team record in the 11-12 50m Fly from 33.90 seconds to 33.37 seconds.
The meet was also notable for the BWaves as it served as a final splash and farewell to a few of their teammates. Seniors Kaelyn Chmielenski and Holly Tillotson swam side-by-side in the 50m Fly race towards the end of the meet, high-fiving at the turn and hugging at the end. Chmielenski has been with the BWaves for nine seasons and will start basic training at the US Merchant Marine Academy to pursue a degree in Marine transportation and swim for the school team. Tillotson, an Academic All-American for Battlefield High, joined the team in 2015 and will be attending the University of Arkansas in the fall to study nursing. The BWaves wish them well and will miss them greatly.
With week one in the books, Bridlewood looks forward to hosting Lake Ridge next week, while the Sea Lions will be hosting the Seals of Southbridge to determine the best pinnipeds in the league.