“2024 Fall Sports Spotlight: Celebrating Boston’s Rising Stars in Girls Swimming”

Noor Abdelal (North Andover) 200-YARD FREESTYLE

Kailyn Aquino (Haverhill) DIVING

Mackenzie Gibbons (Notre Dame Tyngsboro) 100-YARD BACKSTROKE

Emilia Hukkanen (Andover) 200-YARD FREESTYLE

Rebecca Hwang (Needham) 100-YARD BACKSTROKE

Emma Kawai (Winchester) 500-YARD FREESTYLE

Serena Loo (Wellesley) 100-YARD BREASTSTROKE

Andrea Qie (Needham) 200-YARD IM, 100-YARD BUTTERFLY

Isabela Teixeira (Acton-Boxboro) 50-YARD FREESTYLE, 100-YARD FREESTYLE

Robyn Tonomura-MacDonald (Belmont) DIVING

Lucy Tyrrell (Acton-Boxboro) 100-YARD BREASTSTROKE

Barbara Liao, Meg Urdaneta, Jillian Schneider, Kate Urdaneta (Newton North) 200-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY

Natasha Secan, Noor Abdelal, Juliette Bene, Isla Amuan (North Andover) 200-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY

Caroline Tyrrell, Lucy Tyrrell, Isabela Teixeira, Katie Baxter (Acton-Boxboro) 200-MEDLEY RELAY, 400-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY

NOOR ABDELAL

NORTH ANDOVER

Abdelal secured Div. 2 championships in the 200-freestyle and 500-freestyle. At the North Sectionals, she clinched victory in the 500-freestyle and earned third place in the 200-freestyle. The team MVP was also part of a state championship relay team. Her long-term aspirations include swimming for a Div. 1 collegiate program.

KAILYN AQUINO

HAVERHILL

The Merrimack Valley Conference Diver of the Year claimed the Div. 1 State title consecutively for the second year. As a sophomore, Aquino achieved victory in the North Sectional title and secured second place at the state level. The National Honor Society member will advance her diving journey at Northeastern, where she intends to study either Mechanical and/or Civil Engineering.

MACKENZIE GIBBONS

ACADEMY OF NOTRE DAME

The junior triumphed in both the 100-backstroke and 100-butterfly state titles. During the North Sectionals, Gibbons excelled in the 50-freestyle and 100-backstroke events. She also reigned as the MVC champion in both the 100-backstroke and 100-freestyle. Gibbons practices with Commonwealth Swimming North.

EMILIA HUKKANEN

ANDOVER

The sophomore was crowned Div. 1 State champion in the 200-freestyle and secured second place in the 500-freestyle. At the North Sectionals, Hukkanen finished second in the 500-freestyle and third in the 200-IM. Her MVC victories include the 100-butterfly and 200-freestyle, leading to her designation as first team all-MVC. An honors student, Hukkanen swims year-round at Crimson Aquatics in Andover.

REBECCA HWANG

NEEDHAM

The MVP of her team became the Div. 1 state champion in the 100-backstroke. At the South Sectionals, Hwang participated in two victorious relays, the 200-medley and the 400-freestyle. A two-time Bay State Conference All-Star, Hwang, bound for Babson, was a member of both the National Honor Society and Chinese National Honor Society.

EMMA KAWAI

WINCHESTER

The senior secured the Div. 1 State title in the 500-freestyle and finished third in the 200-IM. At the North Sectionals, Kawai emerged victorious in the 200-IM and claimed second in the 100-backstroke. She was the Middlesex League champion in both the 200-IM and 500-freestyle. As a participant in both the National Honor Society and National Spanish Honor Society, Kawai plans to attend Stonehill College.

SERENA LOO

WELLESLEY

Loo clinched the Div. 1 State title in the 100-breaststroke and also finished third in the 100-breaststroke. A top-10 finisher in the New Englands, Loo has qualified for the Speedo Sectionals (100- and 200-breaststroke) and New England Seniors (100- and 200-breaststroke along with 200-IM). An honors student, Loo trains with the Shawmut Aquatic Club and USA Swimming.

ANDREA QIE

NEEDHAM

The freshman remained undefeated in all individual events during the season, capturing the Div. 1 state title in the 200-individual medley as well as the 100-butterfly. She also competed in the team’s medley relay and the 400-freestyle relay. Qie set new school records in the 100-butterfly (57.11) and 200-IM (2:07.41). A straight-A student who has excelled in regional and national swim competitions, Qie competes with the Xtreme Swim Club.

ISABELA TEIXEIRA

ACTON-BOXBORO

The senior standout won the Div. 1 State titles in both the 50-freestyle and 100-freestyle. Teixeira also brought home two victories at the North Sectionals, winning individual titles in the 200-freestyle and 100-butterfly. An honor roll student throughout her four years and recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, Teixeira will be attending Cornell University.

ROBYN TONOMURA-MACDONALD

BELMONT

The senior captain of her squad won both the North Sectional and Div. 2 State title in diving, with her winning score earning her consideration for All-American status. The two-time North Sectional and Div. 2 State champion went undefeated in dual meets over the past two years. A member of the National Honor Society, she will continue her swimming/diving career at the University of Vermont.

LUCY TYRRELL

ACTON-BOXBORO

The freshman clinched both the North Sectional and Div. 1 State title in the 100-breaststroke while finishing fourth in the 200-IM at both competitions. Tyrrell also participated in victorious 200-medley and 400-freestyle relay teams at the States. An honor roll student, she is part of the United Swim Club.

200-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY

NEWTON NORTH

The quartet of Jillian Schneider, Barbara Liao, Meg Urdaneta, and Kate Urdaneta earned the Div. 1 State title in the 200-yard freestyle. Schneider was the runner-up in the 200-freestyle in the state individuals, competing for Crimson Aquatics. Liao swam the opening leg of the relay and secured third place at the state in the 100-breaststroke.

Meg Urdaneta participated in a 200-freestyle relay team that set a new school record. Kate Urdaneta claimed the sectional championship in the 100-freestyle and finished second in the 50-freestyle. She will continue her swimming journey at Tufts in the fall.

200-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY

NORTH ANDOVER

The team consisting of Natasha Secan, Noor Abdelal, Juliette Bene, and Isla Amuan earned the Div. 2 State title in the 200-freestyle relay. Secan was part of two relay champions while finishing sixth in the 50-freestyle at the Div. 2 State meet. She is a member of the National Honor Society.

Bene qualified for the states in the 50-freestyle, 100-freestyle, and 100-butterfly events. The team’s Rookie of the Year, Bene trains with Commonwealth Current Swimming and Bradford Swim Club. Amuan was the Div. 2 state champion in the 50-freestyle and 100-freestyle and qualified for the USA Swimming Sectionals.

200-MEDLEY RELAY, 400-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY

ACTON-BOXBORO

The team comprised of Caroline Tyrrell, Lucy Tyrrell, Isabela Teixeira, and Katie Baxter achieved victory in both the 200-medley and 400-yard freestyle relays at the Div. 1 State championships.

Aside from Lucy Tyrrell and Isabela Teixeira, Baxter was a part of three state team championship squads. An honor roll student and member of the National Honor Society, Baxter will be enrolling at Boston College.

Caroline Tyrrell ranked among the top five in both the 50-freestyle and 100-backstroke at the Div. 1 States. An honor roll student throughout her high school tenure, Tyrrell is set to swim at Bates College.

LEAGUE ALL-STARS

BAY STATE CONFERENCE

GIRLS ALL-STARS: Mirta Ceraj (Brookline); Sasha Tsizer (Framingham); Allison Boynton

(Milton); Katie Sandock (Natick); Chloe Afzali, Andrea Qie, Natalie Guarerra, Becky Hwang, Paige Ingrando, Mila Piatkov (Needham); Kate Urdaneta, Meg Urdaneta, Barbaro Liao, Jillian Schneider (Newton North); Sarah Ginsberg, Sonja Tellander, Serena Loo, Claire Zhao, Alexandra Loo, Tracey Peng, Audrey Sau (Wellesley); Sam Noble (Weymouth)

BOYS ALL-STARS: Aiden Huang, Peter Sentas, Jarvis Liu, Lucas Lee (Braintree); Jackson Wagner, Ryan Kelly, Colby Moskos, Malachi Buchanan, John Griffin, Xavier Brown, Cullen Morrissey (Milton); Avneesh Shenoy, Daniel Le, Cashian Diamond, Spencer Byerly, Mayank Shah (Walpole); Ryan Thin, Hayden Mei, Corey Mei (Weymouth)

CATHOLIC CONFERENCE

Julia Scapicchio, Maya Pereira, Erin MacDonald (Ursuline); Ksenia Nenacheva Fiorentino, Colbi Krause (Notre Dame); Anna White, Leyna Nguyen (Malden Catholic)

MERRIMACK VALLEY CONFERENCE

ALL-CONFERENCE: Carter Beauchesne, Mackenzie Gibbons, Maximus McAndrews (Academy of Notre Dame/Dracut); Amelia Barron, Aneesa Hazarika, Emilia Hukkanen, Olivia Landers (Andover); Peter Hong (Billerica); Anna Florence, Giana McLatchy, Mai Pho, Nora Williamson (Chelmsford); Kailyn Aquino, Sophia Caruso, Molly Jordan (Haverhill); Sophia Cabral, Ethan Corthell, Alan Dang (Methuen/Tewksbury); Noor Abdelal, Isla Amuan, Leo Ferrucci, Natasha Secan, Alex Vo, Jack Ventre (North Andover)

SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: Amelia Barron, Mackenzie Gibbons

DIVER OF THE YEAR: Kailyn Aquino

MIDDLESEX LEAGUE

ALL-CONFERENCE: Emma Kawai, Kaylee Guo, Emily Moh, Elissa Bennett, Megan Han (Winchester); Audrey Cook (Wakefield); Erin Cashin, Lindsay Walker, Reese Paulsen, Laila Paulsen (Reading); Ryley McCarthy (Woburn); Robyn Tonomura-MacDonald (Belmont)

ALL-STARS: Carolyn Cote, Audrey Cook, Allie DeGray, Elie Wagner, Lucy Wagner (Wakefield); Gabbie Hames (Reading); Summing Chan, Srishti Kar, Reina Yano, Lily Glavin, Karen Tao, Sophia Bufano (Belmont); Valeria Prete, Soline Fisher (Arlington); Diya Koul, Esme Cohen, Sophia Tang, Victoria Zhang (Lexington)