BEARS WIN STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS!

BY SKIP PEARLMAN

BREWSTER—In an amazing end to an amazing season, a contingent of four Brewster swimmers competed at the state/Federation championships last weekend at the Webster Aquatic Center at Webster-Schroeder High School, and came home with a fistful of state championships – including one for the whole team.

Bears senior captain Ali Polhill won New York State Public High School and Federation titles in the 100 butterfly (55.20) and the 100 backstroke (56.45). Both were automatic All- America times, meaning Polhill earns All-America ranking in both events.

Polhill was also on two Brewster relay teams, along with Kristi Edleson, Alexis Valedon and Curtney Monsees.

Brewster’s 200 medley relay team tied for first place, and shares the state title with Olean of Section 6. The winning time was 1:49.36. In the 400 free relay, Brewster finished second in a time of 3:34.77.

The Brewster group played a major role in Section 1 defending its state title, with 860 points.

And because Brewster scored more points than any other public high school, the Bears - as a team - are state champs. Brewster finished second in the Federation competition, which also includes Catholic high schools, trailing only Sacred Heart by a small margin.

Edleson also tied for seventh in the 500 freestyle in 5:02.11, and was ninth in the 200 free in a time of 1:54.54.

For Polhill, winning two individual state titles—plus one with the relay team and also winning as a team - climaxes what has been a brilliant career at Brewster.

“She went in as the top seed, so that’s what we were hoping for,” Bears coach Brittany Hunter said. “She was very impressive, she’s a very talented girl, and she’s been waiting four years for this, so it’s pretty exciting.”

Polhill didn’t have the greatest prelim swim, but shook it off and took care of business.

“She had a little hiccup,” Hunter said. “She didn’t have a good prelim swim. But that only got her more fired up for the finals.”

Hunter was also impressed with the relay performances. “It was above and beyond what we expected,” she said. “It was great to win a state title, and the other one was very close…it was great to see.”

Hunter called Edleson’s showing in the 500 and 200 “a great performance,” and was thrilled that her team finishes as state champs.

“That was the goal,” Hunter said. “We finished third last year, so we knew it was a possibility. And we were only three-and-a-half points off the Catholic schools…To do it with just four girls was quite a feat.”