CIAC State Open Championship
- November 14-17, 2024
- New Haven, CT
- 25 Yards (SCY)
The Ridgefield girls lifted their second State Open Championship trophy in three years last month last month. The squad earned 587 points to claim victory by 36 points over Greenwich, the defending champions that won its 21st State Open last season.
Greenwich kept the meet close, but Ridgefield racked up eight event wins, including a sweep of the three relays, to put the meet away. Senior Lily Archibald was one of the standouts on the day for the winning team. The Rice commit picked up her first individual win of the meet with a state record in the 100 butterfly, swimming 53.37. It was a lifetime best for her at the time, before she clocked 53.10 at the Winter Junior Championship — East.
After winning the 100 backstroke (55.14), Archibald helped set another state record. She led off the 400 freestyle relay in 50.10, handing things off to Bridget Kelly (50.93). Ava Ward (50.78) and Kiera Giles (52.16) swam the back half of the relay, and the quartet stopped the clock at 3:23.97 for a state record to seal the overall win.
The state record had been on the team’s mind coming into the meet. They first broke the record at the Class L meet ahead of the State Open, swimming 3:25.01. “They said they were going to go 3:24,” Ridgefield coach Paul Marchese told CT Insider. “So, that’s how bad they wanted the record. And they went 3:23. It really is the perfect way to end [the meet].”
Ward also contributed two individual event wins. A junior, Ward is verbally committed to LSU. She began her meet by swimming a lifetime best in the 200 free. She clocked 1:49.37, leading a 1-3 finish for Ridgefield. Then, she swam 4:59.52 for the win in the 500 freestyle and was the only swimmer in the final under 5:00. Ward was back on the blocks in the next event, teaming with Ellie Griffin, Giles, and Maddie Muncy to win the 200 free relay (1:35.51).
Manchester junior Riley Anderson was the third double-event winner at the championships. Anderson, verbally committed to Duke, swept the sprint freestyle events. She swam season-bests in both, clocking 22.67 in the 50 freestyle and 49.66 in the 100 freestyle.
Riley McGerald earned Ridgefield’s other individual event win of the day. She won the 100 breaststroke, getting out to a fast start on the first half, then holding off the field over the second 50 yards. She swam 1:05.43, leading a trio of 1:05 swims from Seymour freshman Ana David and Norwalk-McMahon freshman Emma Giafardino. Earlier in the meet, David won the 200 IM (2:05.72), earning her first individual State Open title at her first championships.
Top 10 Teams:
- Ridgefield – 587
- Greenwich – 551
- Cheshire – 327
- New Canaan – 262
- Darien – 233
- Amity – 200
- Brookfield – 198.5
- Pomperaug – 198
- Wilton – 158
- Hall – 153
Where is Annam Olaswere from Staples HS (Stanford commit)?
Which state has the fastest states?
It must be California right? I’ve been busting my ass off training to make states in the 100 fly.