Mystic Valley Girls Swimming Clinches 18th CAC Title

By Emily Brennan

The Mystic Valley girls swimming team delivered a powerhouse performance at the Commonwealth Athletic Conference (CAC) championship meet, securing their 18^th overall title. Competing on Wednesday and Thursday night, the Eagles dominated both the overall large school dual meet and the large school girls conference, scoring 670 and 334 points, respectively.

Day One: Eagles Set the Tone

The meet kicked off with a standout performance from Lana Albuquerque in the 500 freestyle, as she cruised to victory with a commanding time of 5:53.73. Noely Mendez (6:28.63) and Allie Co (7:04.93) finished behind her in third and seventh, respectively.

The Eagles then took complete control of the 200 Individual Medley, sweeping the top three. Isabella Cirame led the charge, touching the wall at 2:19.95, followed by Isabelle Pennachio, who posted a season-best 2:25.96. Khloe Co completed the sweep with a strong 2:31.65 finish.

Closing out the first night, Mystic Valley’s 400 freestyle relay teams put on a show, capturing both first and second place while rewriting the school record books. The team of Cirame, Sydney Cao, Brittney Nayiga, and Albuquerque blazed to a record-breaking 3:49.01. The second relay team—Belinda Mwebaza, Pennachio, Co, and Mendez—delivered a strong performance as well, finishing in 4:25.40.

Day Two: Mystic Valley Continues to Dominate

The momentum carried into day two as Mystic Valley’s 200 medley relay team of Cao, Nayiga, Pennachio, and Albuquerque set the tone with a winning time of 1:55.54. The relay squad of Brooke Burke, Lucia Antonucci, Co, and Benitah Mwebaza secured second place with a time of 2:01.24.

In the 200-freestyle relay, Mystic Valley once again claimed the top two spots. The quartet of Antonucci, Cirame, Mwebaza, and Mwebaza clinched first with a time of 1:46.52, while the team of Crystal Tang, Phoebe Curtis, Melina Catic, and Mykaela Martin finished second in 1:58.20.

One of the most thrilling moments came in the 100 breaststroke, where Nayiga shattered the school record with a personal-best 1:09.89 to take first place. Antonucci followed closely in second (1:11.06), while Tang secured third (1:17.15), surpassing her sectional cut.

The Eagles continued their dominance in the 100 butterfly, with Pennachio winning the event in a personal-best 1:03.75.  Co (1:07.31) and Burke (1:12.71) rounded out another Mystic Valley top three sweep.

Mwebaza delivered another highlight in the 100 freestyle, clocking a state-qualifying personal best of 57.84 to take first place. Albuquerque finished second in 59.46, and Mendez capped off a stellar night with a personal best 1:08.79 for third.

With momentum on their side, Mystic Valley now looks ahead to the MIAA Sectional Tournament on February 8 at MIT, where they’ll aim to continue their dominant run. The meet is set to begin at 8:30 a.m.