Girls Swimming & Diving 2025: 5-0 Shoreline/HKHS Co-Op Defeats Suffield

Submitted by Alison Karam, Head Coach, Shoreline Co-Op/H-K Girls Swimming & Diving

(October 23, 2025) — The Shoreline Co-Op High School Girls Swimming and Diving team defeated Suffield 90-72 on October 7, 2025 to extend their winning record to 5-0 for the season. High school swimmers from Haddam-Killingworth, Valley Regional, Lyme-Old Lyme and Old Saybrook combined to take first place and third place in the opening 200-yard medley relay and held the lead for the remainder of the meet.

(Photo right by Robin Thebeau, taken after 94-72 2in over Middletown) Front row l-r: Olive Forristall, Sophia Langer, Kinsley Grenier, Sophia Cole, Eliza Sturges, Lauren Thebeau, Sasha Dziebel, Liv Osinski, Aria Cummings, Bethany Erkkila. Middle row: Aemelia Kostek, Elsa Shatraw, Phoebe Spallone, Maggie Miller, Gianna Dabkowski, Norah Reeps, Jane Gaines. Back row: Maddie Cummins, Phoebe Gerl, Sofia Yumbla, Claire Johnson, Zi Abbott, Livy Roberts, Hazel Forristall. (Missing: Angie Bari, Divena Rai, Rose Dimmock).

Prior to Suffield, the team won dual meets against Ledyard (100-68), Waterford (113-67), Rocky Hill (90-72) and Middletown (94-72).

“It was a whole new world last year with four high schools coming together as one co-op team,” said Coach Alison Karam. “There were challenges with transportation and differing school schedules, but the girls blended beautifully as a swim family. This year we added 12 new swimmers to our roster, which brings our team to 27 swimmers and divers, our largest ever. It’s exciting to watch them get stronger, faster, and improve their technique.”

Seven team members have already automatically qualified for this year’s State Championships: Gianna Dabkowski (HK-Jr), Olive Forristall (HK-Jr), Maggie Miller (HK-Sr), Claire Johnson (V-So), Phoebe Spallone (V-So), Sofia Yumbla (V-Fr) and diver Bethany Erkkila (V-Sr).

Swimmers and divers competing for Shoreline Co-Op this season are: (Seniors) Rose Dimmock, Captain (L-OL), Sasha Dziebel, Captain (OS), Bethany Erkkila, Captain (V), Aemelia Kostek (V), Maggie Miller, Captain (H-K), (Juniors) Zi Abbott (H-K), Gianna Dabkowski (H-K), Olive Forristall (H-K), Sophia Langer (H-K), Elsa Shatraw (H-K), (Sophomores) Aria Cummings (H-K), Maddie Cummins (L-OL), Kinsley Grenier (L-OL), Claire Johnson (V) (photo above, Sophomore at Valley Regional High School, has swum 2025 State Championship qualifying times in the 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard Individual Medley), Phoebe Gerl (V), Phoebe Spallone (V), Eliza Sturges (H-K), Lauren Thebeau (H-K), (Freshmen) Angie Bari (L-OL), Sophia Cole (H-K), Hazel Forristall (H-K), Jane Gaines (H-K), Liv Osinski (L-OL), Divena Rai (OS), Norah Reeps (H-K), Livy Roberts (H-K), Sofia Yumbla (V).

 Top Three finishes for Shoreline against Suffield:

200-yard Medley Relay: 1^st: (Spallone, O. Forristall, Johnson, Dabkowski), 3^rd: (Shatraw, Cummings, Dimmock, Sturges)

200-yard Freestyle 2^nd: Miller

200-yard Individual Medley: 1^st: Johnson*, 2^nd: Yumbla*, 3^rd: Forristall

50- yard Freestyle: 2^nd: Dabkowski, 3^rd: Reeps

100-yard Butterfly: 1^st: Johnson*, 3^rd: Reeps

500- yard Freestyle: 1^st: Yumbla

200- yard Freestyle Relay: 1^st: (Johnson, Reeps, Miller, Dabkowski), 3^rd: (Thebeau, Grenier, Sturges, Yumbla)

100- yard Backstroke: 1^st: Spallone*, 3^rd: Shatraw

100- yard Breaststroke: 1^st: O. Forristall*, 3^rd: Thebeau

400- yard Freestyle Relay: 2^nd: (Yumbla, Reeps, Spallone, Miller)

* Time qualifies for State Championships