History girls: Darien High girls win first-ever FCIAC title in the swimming pool with clutch finish at Greenwich

Written by Lynsey Santimays and Steven Buono
Saturday, 07 November 2009 18:53

Updated Thursday, 12 November 2009 10:10

Marj Trifone guaranteed this would be a ‘mental’ meet.

But the veteran Darien High girls swimming and diving team coach didn’t say it would be flat out crazy.

Crazy it was though, for anyone within earshot of the raucous crowd at the Greenwich High School pool as the Blue Wave left, the once perennial champion hosts, capsized in its wake.

Pulling ahead late, the Wave won its first-ever Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference title meet on Saturday, outpacing the unseated defending champs-of-so-so-many-years, 374-366.

“I am very proud of my girls,” Trifone said. “We weren’t rested and we knew it was going to be a mental meet.”

New Canaan was third with 333.

Greenwich’s reign ends after 11 straight FCIAC title wins. The Cardinals have won 27 conference titles since 1979.

“We trained so hard over the past four months, and I think that going in we knew we had a shot,” said senior Cali Ceglarski. “But it was one of those things, where like, you don’t ever really think it will happen. And when it does, it’s the best feeling ever — I have never been happier.”

The new champ had been FCIAC runner-up the past five years.

“We always come to FCIACs and we always fall short,” said Trifone. “And this year we were able to pull it out.”

Greenwich led 311-295, with the Rams still in it to win with 259, after 10 of the 12 events.

Only, the capacity crowd — loud and as wild as a legal riot of sound erupting in the closest of dank quarters, and with a chlorine spray lacing the air over the lanes — witnessed county history when Darien pulled ahead for good on the penultimate event.

This after the hosts, who have only lost three meets in FCIAC history, had led the entire rest of the way.

But going into the 11th event, the 100-meter breaststroke, the Cardinals were about to become hit, hard and decisively, below the waterline.

Firing the meet-turning torpedoes were Olivia Leunis, a freshman, finishing with big points in second in 1:08.98, and 10th graders Cammie Kirby in fifth in 1:11.89, eighth Caroline Kearney in 1:13.90 and 11th Chapin Tricarico in 1:13.97.

“The underclassmen stepped up more than anything, I think,” Ceglarski said. “The 100 breaststroke shocked people — I think that people were just blown away.

“A lot of heart was put into every single event.”

Darien dunked Greenwich but good in the event to take a 342-332 lead, then held on with a bronze finish in the 12th and final race, for a Blue Wave victory to rock the collective FCIAC pool right out of its blue lining.

“We hung in there, the entire time,” Trifone said. “Even though we were down points the whole meet. They did not give up.”

For what it was worth — second place, overall — Greenwich finished first in the 100 breaststroke.

Next came another clutch must for DHS, staying ahead in the final event, the 400 medley relay.

And to stay ahead of rival Greenwich, Darien did not need to win. Third place or better would clinch it.

So what did Ceglarski, Lindsay Tyler, Sam Berizzi and Katie Orem do?

They came in third.

It set off a wave of silent tears from the sizable crew of Darien seniors in and out of the pool. Silent tears, because the roof was being ripped off the pool complex by the roar of the crowd.

They say that places like Madison Square Garden, and Yankee Stadium, new or old, are worth a marker or more up on the home team scoreboard.

And that’s what Darien’s contingent of boisterous supporters were worth at this meet, at least. Making this more like a Wave homecoming meet than it was a home-pool advantage for the sunken Cards.

It seemed to make a difference down the stretch.

So, how great is this as far as the swimmers are concerned?

Pretty great.

“Especially since we lost to Greenwich in the regular season,” said Paige Gasparino of the Wave’s six point loss to the Cards at the same pool on Oct. 9. “This win is even more special.”

Darien had a 42 point boost from the divers in that portion of the meet at Westhill in Stamford on Thursday.

Senior Alex Leinroth was runner-up with 398 points, and Lexi Ashcraft was fifth with 379.9.

Greenwich’s divers landed 37 points.

Orem swam the final laps of the final event, and had this to say of ringing in a victory that echoes through all time for DHS: “I couldn’t really feel anything. I was so nervous.

“But we are a good team under pressure.”

“All of our hard work paid off,” said Katie Rohn, a senior. “Especially when we were behind and ended up pulling it out in the end.”

Darien began its trek toward a new era as defending champ with a third in the 200 medley relay in 1:54.32, with Orem, Kirby, Catherine Treesh and Rebecca Liu doing the honors.

Next, Berizzi won the 200 free in 1:55.09. Sixth was Lindsay Tyler in 1:59.99.

The third event was the 200 IM where Caroline Orem was eighth in 2:18.24.

Ceglarski was third in the 50 free in 24.67, seventh was Treesh in 25.67.

Leunis was 12th in the100 fly in 1:02.36.

Ceglarski was fifth in the 100 free in 55 seconds. Treesh was seventh in 55.44 Elizabeth Crafford 13th in 57.13.

The meet broke for a pause, then, and with it tight, as Greenwich stayed ahead with 218 points to Darien’s 199, and the Rams’ 191.

The meet resumed with the 500 free, and Berizzi blew it away, winning in 5:08.94.

Tyler was fifth in 5:18.09 and Katie Orem seventh in 5:20.51.

The 200 free relay had Ceglarski, Treesh, Berizzi and Tyler come in the runner-up to Greenwich in 1:40.62.

And in the 10th event, the 100 backstroke, where the long defending champs’ saw their final lead, Rohn finished in fifth in 1:01.81.

Ninth was Katie Orem in 1:02.35.

“Greenwich did a great job,” Trifone added. “They could have gotten us, and his team swam really well.”

With this win sending a current from the pool in Greenwich all the way out through all of time for Darien, Ceglarski sent out a call to someone enveloped in that rippling time wave, sister Katie (DHS Class of 2004), who helped Darien win many state titles as a leader in the lanes as well.

Cali had the cell phone going practically before she hopped out of the water to celebrate the win.

“At first she didn’t believe me,” said Cali Ceglarski. “She cried when I told her.”

Just like all of those current Wave girls overwhelmed at pool side Saturday night.

“She didn’t believe me, she was like, ‘no way! I don’t believe you — there’s no way that happened.’” Cali said. “And I was like, I am telling you, we just beat them, first time since whenever. And she was like, ‘I’m speechless, I don’t even know what to say.

'"I would have given anything to be there.’”

Full Darien FCIAC results as supplied by the Blue Wave included: 200 Medley Relay: Third were Katie Orem, Cammie Kirby, Rebecca Liu, Catherine Treesh in 1:54.32; 200 Free: Winning it was Sam Berizzi in 1:55.09; 200 IM: Eighth was Caroline Orem in 2:18.24; 50 Free: Third was Cali Ceglarski in 24:67, then Catherine Treesh in seventh in 25.67, Elizabeth Crafford was 13th in 26.22; 100 Butterfly: Twelfth was Olivia Leunis in 1:02.36; 100 Freestyle: Fifth Cali Ceglarski in 55:00, then Catherine Treesh seventh in 55.44, Elizabeth Crafford 13th 57.13; 500 Freestyle: Winning, Sam Berizzi in 5:08.94, then Lindsay Tyler fifth in 5:18.09, Katie Orem seventh 5:20.51; 200 Free Relay: Runner-up, Cali Ceglarski, Catherine Treesh, Sam Berizzi Lindsay Tyler in 1:40.62; 100 Backstroke: Fifth was Katie Rohn in 1:01.81, ninth Katie Orem 1:02.35, 16th Caroline Orem 1:06.05; 100 Breaststroke: Second Olivia Leunis in 1:08.98, fifth Cammie Kirby 1:11.89, eighth Caroline Kearney in 1:13.90, 11th Chapin Tricarico in 1:13.97; 400 Medley Relay: In third, Cali Ceglarski Lindsay Tyler, Sam Berizzi Katie Orem in 3:38.40; Diving: Second Alex Leinroth 398 points, fifth Lexi Ashcraft with 379.9.