Introducing The News-Press 2023 All-Area Girls Swimming Team
At the end of each season, The News-Press selects All-Area teams honoring the best athletes for every sport. Coaches from area schools are sent nomination forms and are asked to nominate and rate their athletes as well as those from other teams. That data combined with The News-Press' research led to the selection of the All-Area teams.
FIRST TEAM
Emma Best
School: Cape Coral
Year: Junior
Highlights: Best qualified for the Class 3A state meet in the 200 free and 100 fly, finishing in 10th and 13th place, respectively. In addition to silver and bronze individual performances at regionals, she contributed to the Seahawks' seventh- and eighth-place relay teams at states.
Melissa Blaine
School: Cape Coral
Year: Senior
Highlights: Blaine closed a decorated high school career with four state medals, coming in second in the 200 IM and fifth in the 500 free along with contributions to two medaling relay teams. The Ohio University signee earned district titles in the 200 IM and 500 free and a regional title in the 200 IM.
Katia Bushko
School: Estero
Year: Freshman
Highlights: Bushko turned in her best performance of the season with a personal best swim in the 500 free to finish in sixth place at the Class 2A state championships, along with coming in 13th in the 200 free. She won a district title for the 500 free and came in third in the event at regionals.
Lily Drons
School: Estero
Year: Senior
Highlights: At the Class 2A state meet, Drons earned a state medal after coming in seventh in the 100 free, along with an 11th-place finish in the 200 free. She won gold at districts and silver at regionals in the 200 free.
Alejandra Figueroa
School: Cape Coral
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: Figueroa qualified for the Class 3A state meet in the 100 back, finishing in 15th, and swam a leg on Cape Coral's eighth-place 200 medley relay team. She was the LCAC champion and district runner-up in the 100 back.
Daynna Franklyn
School: Cape Coral
Year: Freshman
Highlights: Franklyn swam on both of the Seahawks' state medaling relay teams and qualified for the Class 3A meet in the 50 free and 100 free. At districts, she came in third in the 50 free and fourth in the 100 free.
Sophie Pellegrino
School: Cape Coral
Year: Senior
Highlights: Pellegrino earned a state medal as a member of the Seahawks' 400-free relay team at the Class 3A meet. She qualified for states in 200 IM and 100 back, where she came in third and fourth at districts, respectively.
Izabella Wreski
School: Riverdale
Year: Senior
Highlights: In the 100 breast, Wreski won the title at LCAC, came in second at districts, fourth at regionals, and finished in 12th at the Class 3A state meet. In the 500 free, she was third at districts, fifth at regionals, and finished ninth at states with a personal best time.
Maddox Wreski
School: Riverdale
Year: Senior
Highlights: Wreski had the best area finish in diving, coming in 13th at the Class 3A state meet. She had runner-up results in the event at regionals and districts.
SECOND TEAM
Emma Beckman, North Fort Myers
Kaylei Cunniff, Bishop Verot
Sydney Eastman, Cape Coral
Vivian Glover, Evangelical Christian School
Sabrina Lara, Cape Coral
Skye Pereschino, Oasis
Amanda Saiz, Oasis
Annika Stafford, Bonita Springs
Tina Zavalaga, Cape Coral
HONORABLE MENTION
Bishop Verot: Lainey Hooper, Ryan Johnson
Bonita Springs: Carina Nichitean
Canterbury: Olivia Rectenwald
Cape Coral: Genevieve Bailey, Alexa Ferro
Cypress Lake: McKenzie Brill, Danni Haddock
Dunbar: Isabel Liu, Adrianna Olding
ECS: Ashley Villaflor
Estero: Ava Alfano, Kettner Lewis
Fort Myers: Zoe Chuang-Saladin, Elle Kasitz
Mariner: Lilyana Veltman
North Fort Myers: Sasa Chu
Oasis: Sophia Penta
Riverdale: Lyla Bredenkamp, Madelyn Peterman
SFCA: Ashley Allen, Faith Young
South Fort Myers: Yabdielys Nicole Mejia-Marzan
COACH OF THE YEAR
Dianne Kimble
School: Cape Coral
Highlights: The Seahawks continued their dominance, winning LCAC and district titles and coming in second at regionals. At the Class 3A state meet, senior Melissa Blaine won two individual medals, and Cape Coral earned medals in the 400 free relay and 200 IM relay.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Meet The News-Press 2023 All-Area Girls Swimming Team
