Kate Douglass, a ninth grader at Pelham High School, poses for a photograph before practice at the College of New Rochelle wellness center pool on Dec. 2, 2014. She is The Journal News/lohud Westchester/Putnam Swimmer of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Kate Douglass, a ninth grader at Pelham High School, poses for a photograph before practice at the College of New Rochelle wellness center pool on Dec. 2, 2014. She is The Journal News/lohud Westchester/Putnam Swimmer of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Pelham freshman Kate Douglass said at the end of last year she wanted to place higher in all of her events, help the relay place higher and see her team send more kids to sections and states.
Mission accomplished.
“I definitely think I accomplished that,” Douglass said. “I placed higher than I thought I would last year, and our relay did very well. We also sent a couple more kids to sectionals, which was very exciting.”
The 2015 Journal News/lohud Westchester/Putnam swimmer of the year for the second straight year added more to her already impressive resume.
She’s the state and federation champion in the 100-yard freestyle, second in the state in the 50 free, third in the state with her teammates in the 200-free relay and fourth with her teammates in the state in the 400-free relay.
“At the beginning of the season, I never would have thought that as a 14-year-old I would win states,” Douglass said. “It’s very exciting.”
She and her Pelham teammates finished second overall in the state.
“Pelham did very well at states, considering how small of a team we are,” Douglass said. “This definitely boosts our confidence going into next season, we’re hoping to have even more great swims.”
Douglass won two Section 1 titles — in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-breaststroke — for the second straight year in early November. She helped her teammates in the 200-free relay to a Section 1 title as well.
She won the Conference 2 League 2 titles in the 200-individual medley and 100-free in October.
In the process, she became the holder of three Section 1 records and one Section 1 relay record.
And she’s done all this before the age of 14.
“I’m very happy to have accomplished so much so soon,” Douglass said. “I’m hoping to do more as my high school career progresses.”
And what does she want to accomplish?
“I’d love to win another state title — I’d like to try to win the 50 free and possibly the 100 breaststroke,” Douglass said. “I’d like to see Pelham continue to improve.”
Before she returns to the pool for the high school swim season, Douglass has one of the biggest events of her young swim career ahead — the 2016 US Olympic Trials in Nebraska in the beginning of the summer.
“’I’m hoping to do my best,” Douglass said. “The Olympics is not a major goal of mine. I’m hoping to make the junior national team and place higher in the country.”
Coach of the Year: Chris Driwinga, Pelham: — Not only did Driwinga helped guide Kate Douglass to a state/federation title in the 100-yard freestyle; he led the Pelicans to a second-place finish overall in the state and fourth in the section.
The rest of The Journal News/lohud first-team all-stars:
200-yard medley relay: Horace Greeley — The quartet consists of seniors Isabella Weiner, Rachel Hellman, Emma Hadley and junior Catherine Sawkins.
200-freestyle: Madison Hartigan, So., Pelham
200 individual medley: Josephine Panitz, Fr., Ursuline
Diving: Jennifer Bell, Fr., Pelham
100 butterfly: Emma Hadley, Sr., Horace Greeley
500 freestyle: Kate Amar, Fr., Ursuline
200 freestyle relay: Pelham — The quartet consists of junior Jane Bryce, senior Sarah Dunbar, sophomore Madison Hartigan and freshman Kate Douglass
100 backstroke: Emma Hadley, Sr., Horace Greeley
400 freestyle relay: Ursuline — The quartet consists of freshmen Kate Amar and Josephine Panitz, sophomore MaryKate Melnyk, senior Kelly Amar.
Second team:
200-yard medley relay: Fox Lane
200 freestyle: Kate Amar, Fr., Ursuline
200 individual medley: Kerry Kelly, Sr., John Jay
50 freestyle: Nicole Parry, Sr., Mamaroneck
Diving: Christina Crowell, Sr., Fox Lane
100 butterfly: Kelly Amar, Sr., Ursuline
100 freestyle: Nicole Parry, Sr., Mamaroneck
500 freestyle: Madison Hartigan, So., Pelham
200 freestyle relay: Ursuline
100 backstroke: Maureen O’Sullivan, Fox Lane
100 breaststroke: Josephine Panitz, Ursuline
400 freestyle relay: Pelham
Honorable mention:
Christina Faust, Sr., New Rochelle; Alisa Fominykh, Br., Bronxville/Tuckahoe; Kim Jogis, Fr., Mamaroneck; Mikayla Klein, Fr., Sleepy Hollow/Hastings/Edgemont/Irvington; Jamie Lee, Jr., Fox Lane; Amanda McHugh, So., Horace Greeley; Theresa Milio, 8th, Sleepy Hollow/Hastings/Edgemont/Irvington; Nadia Riverso, Sr., Sleepy Hollow/Hastings/Edgemont/Irvington; Julia Ruggiero, Jr., Fox Lane; Lauren Siegel, Jr., Croton-Harmon/Hen Hud/Somers; Emily Sullivan, Jr., Croton-Harmon/Hen Hud/Somers.
Twitter: @LoHud_Debbie
