Fairfield Warde girls swimming tops crosstown rival Ludlowe

The Fairfield Warde girls swimming and diving team promised to toss its former coach, Sara Peck, into the pool after the Mustangs' meet Wednesday with their crosstown rival.

And after the Mustangs polished off their rival, they happily made good on their promise.

Claire Bollman placed first in every event in which she participated as the Mustangs rolled, 105-70 over Ludlowe at Fairfield University.

"This is the best thing in the world," Bollman said, "especially because it's our senior meet."

Maia Hernandez earned two wins and a third-place finish, Naina Thota took to second places and Brittany Pond won the 50-freestyle as the Mustangs beat their crosstown rival for the third straight year.

"We were training hard all season for this meet," Thota said. "It showed in the pool."

Scout Curtain took three second-place finishes for Ludlowe.

"We did OK," Peck said. "We had some good times, we had some not-so-good times."

Peck -- the current Ludlowe head coach and former assistant swim coach at Warde who also is a teacher there -- was serenaded with jeers by her students in school on Wednesday.

"They've been talking about this meet for a while," Peck said. "It was different and it was hard because I teach at Warde."

"We decorated her room, because she's a teacher at Warde," Bollman said. "She's secretly happy we won."

After the meet, a collection of Mustangs swimmers dropped the first-year Falcons coach into the steamy water.

"They threatened me for weeks about pushing me in the pool," Peck said. "They finally went through with it."

Bollman made sure she and her teammates victoriously aided Peck into the pool. The senior captain took first in the 200 individual medley (2:41.53) and 500-freestyle (5:07.77).

"This is the big deal," Bollman said. "Everyone does their best times in this meet."

Bollman and Thota teamed up, along with Brittany and Chelsea Pond to take the 200- and 400-Freestyle relays.

"We have the passion and the drive," Thota said. "Every single event, we're cheering for everyone and everyone on our team knows that they count."

ppickens@bcnnew.com; twitter.com/Pat_Pickens