Wolcott freshman Emma Lawson competes in Friday’s NVL championship meet at Kennedy.
Emma Lawson and Dea Gashi may be just freshmen, but they’re already competing with the best swimmers that the Naugatuck Valley League has to offer.
Lawson and Gashi attend Wolcott High School and compete for the Eagles while attached to Woodland as a collaborative team. Both Lawson and Gashi competed in the NVL championship meet on Friday at Kennedy High School’s John Reardon Pool.
Lawson had a particularly strong performance, earning a pair of silver medals. The only person to swim faster than Lawson in her events, the 100-yard freestyle and 100 backstroke, was Seymour junior Kylie McKirryher. All McKirryher did was earn the James Farrar Most Outstanding Swimmer Award for the second straight year. Lawson swam the 100 freestyle in 55.95 seconds. She finished the 100 backstroke in 1:00.85.
Gashi competed in the 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke. Gashi finished 15th in the 100 freestyle (1:09.37). Her best effort, however, came in the 100 breaststroke, where she placed eighth in 1:26.71. Gashi just missed out on a medal in the event. Medals are awarded to the top six finishers.
Lawson and Gashi combined for 55 team points for Wolcott, which finished in 10th (last) place.
