Eagles swimmers and coach collect top CAC honors

  Mystic Valley Regional Charter School swimmers Deanna Guo and Jeremy Cheng were named Commonwealth Athletics Conference (CAC) girls and boys Most Valuable Swimmers recently.  In addition, third year Head Coach Andrew DiGiacomo collected Coach of the Year accolades, leading the team to its 14th consecutive conference crown.

  A six-year member of the program, Guo is a two-year captain who left an indelible mark on the

program’s record books. She is the school record holder in the 200 Individual Medley (IM), 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke and part of all three relay teams (200 medley, 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle) that swam the fastest time in school history. What’s just as remarkable is that Guo sits within the top five fastest in the 50 freestyle (fourth), 100 freestyle (third), 200 freestyle (third) and 500 freestyle (third).  In fact, she has swum the program’s eighth-fastest time in the 100 breaststroke, meaning she is represented on all eight Top 10 lists.
In 2022, she claimed gold in both the 200 IM and 100 butterfly at the CAC Championships as well as a 400 freestyle relay team title.  She departs the CAC as the all-time leading medal winner in girls swimming.

  A junior, Cheng is the program’s record holder in the 100 butterfly and also, as an eighth-grader, was a part of the 400 freestyle relay team in 2019 who swam faster than any quartet in Eagles history.  Cheng is high atop Eagles Top 10 lists, sitting only behind state champion Christian Kinnon (’16) in the 50 freestyle, third in the 100 freestyle, third in the 500 freestyle, fourth in the 200 IM and tied for ninth in the 100 breaststroke.

  In CAC championship action, Cheng came home before the rest in the 100 butterfly and 100 breaststroke, turning in a then-state best time in the 100 butterfly, and teamed to claim gold in both the 200 medley relay and 200 freestyle relay. In state meet action, Cheng certainly saved his best for last and peaked when it mattered most, touching second in the 100 butterfly, teaming to finish third in both the 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays.  He earned another podium trip with an eighth-place finish in the 100 backstroke.

  Now 30-4 for his career, DiGiacomo has sustained the culture of excellence and success around Eagles swimming since his arrival three seasons ago.  He has been a driving force between the program’s three straight CAC titles and was at the helm earlier this winter when the boys program tied its best showing ever with a third-place finish at MIAA Division II states. The future is bright for both the girls’ and boys’ programs next winter as many top swimmers and all but one member of each squad’s state teams are slated to return to the fold.