ANA SYNCHERS ARE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH

Continuing their winning tradition, the ANA Synchers orchestrated a near sweep of top honors at this weekend’s New England Synchronized Swimming Association Age Group Championships in Ipswich, Massachusetts. The ANA Synchers fielded four team routines at this meet, more than any team entered, and took home three golds and a silver. In addition to the plethora of other medals that ANA earned, the Synchers qualified thirty-seven swimmers to compete at the regional Age Group Championships in Albany on May 19th-21st, including four teams, six trios, four duets and five solos.

ANA faced its toughest team competition in the 16-17 age group, where 6 teams contested for top honors. ANA came away with a silver medal, earned by swimmers Alice Wu, 15, Laura Hanson, 13, Colleen Maher, 13, Elizabeth Maldari, 13, all of Andover, Edith Kwok, 17, Shefali (Minnie) Lohia, 13, and Hannah Straus, 13, all of North Andover, and Taylor Clarke, 13, of Lowell. This accomplishment is especially impressive, given that 6 of these 8 swimmers are new to this level of competition in the 2006 season.

The Synchers’ 12-13 team earned gold in their age bracket, with a commanding performance that placed them well ahead of their competition. Team members included Yuka Fuchino, 12, Laina Grey, 11, Caitlyn MacGregor, 13, Alice Rodgers, 13, and Alison Ziel, 12, all of North Andover; Candace Ju, 12, of Andover; Jennifer Meli, 12, and Alyson Arsenault, 11, of Methuen, and alternates Audrey Hansen, 12, and Marian Crockett, 12, of Andover.

Three team members also accomplished the “Grand Slam of Synchro”, winning 4 gold medals in one meet. These swimmers were Rita Gillan, 18, and Jessica Mancini, 14, of Andover, and Stephanie Garcia Restrepo, 16, of Billerica, all of whom placed first in their age group for technical figures, as well as earning 3 gold medals in routine competition.

The top four finishers in each event at the Regional Championship in Albany will qualify to attend the US National Age Group Championships in Seattle in June. Given this year’s success, the ANA Synchers hope to field four teams this year.

COMPLETE RESULTS:

18-19 age group:

Team: Gold (Stephanie Garcia-Restrepo, 16, of Billerica, Rita Gillan, 18, of Andover, Charlotte Gorski, 17, of Manchester, NH, Ashley Cohen, 16, Beth O’Connor, 16, Faryn Shiro, 16, and Kelly Mahoney, 16, all of Andover, Meaghan Arsenault, 15, and Maggie Conlon, 15, both of Methuen)

Trio: Gold (Rachel Veznaian, 18, and Alice Wu, 15, Andover, and Edith Kwok, 16, North Andover)

Duet: Gold (Garcia Restrepo and Gillan)

Solo: Gold (Gillan)

16-17 age group:

Team: Silver (Alice Wu, 15, Laura Hanson, 13, Colleen Maher, 13, Elizabeth Maldari, 13, all of Andover, Edith Kwok, 17, Shefali (Minnie) Lohia, 13, and Hannah Straus, 13, all of North Andover, and Taylor Clarke, 13, of Lowell)

Trio: Gold (Cohen, Conlon, and Garcia Restrepo) and Bronze (Gorski, Mahoney, Shiro)

Duet: Silver (M. Arsenault and O’Connor)

Solo: Gold (Garcia Restrepo) and Silver (Cohen)

14-15 age group:

Team: Gold (Claire Rudder, 14, of Sudbury, Jessica Mancini, 14, Erica Potts, 15, Molly Trerotola, 14, Sheila Cremin, 14, and Emily Stone, 15, all of Andover, and Amber Blum, 14, and Emily Ingram, 14, of North Andover. Alternate was Rebecca Ely, 15, of North Andover.)

Trio: Gold (Mancini, Trerotola, Potts) and Silver (Blum, Cremin, Stone)

Duet: Gold (Mancini and Rudder) and 4th (Ely and Ingram)

Solo: Silver (Rudder)

12-13 age group:

Team: Gold (Yuka Fuchino, 12, Laina Grey, 11, Caitlyn MacGregor, 13, Alice Rodgers, 13, and Alison Ziel, 12, all of North Andover; Candace Ju, 12, of Andover; Jennifer Meli, 12, and Alyson Arsenault, 11, of Methuen, and alternates Audrey Hansen, 12, and Marian Crockett, 12, of Andover. )

Trio: Gold (MacGregor, Rodgers, Ziel) and 4th (A. Arsenault, Crockett, Meli)

Duet: Bronze (Fuchino and Grey) and 5th (Hansen and Ju)

Solo: Silver (MacGregor)