This year is the third season that Tamra Gallo will be the head coach of the Warwick Vets girls’ swimming team – and this is by far the best that the program’s looked in her tenure.

This year’s roster has 13 girls, nine more than the four they had a season ago.

For the first time in three years for Gallo, her team will be able to put together a medley relay.

Part of the reason for the increase in numbers is Gallo. She also coaches tennis and some of the girls from her tennis team decided to come out for the swimming team because she was coaching.

Vets, who went 2-7 in the dual meet season last year, is very young this season.

The team only has two seniors – Alyssa Flanagan and Phone Htoo – who will serve as team captains this season.

Htoo came on late last season and should be the team’s top contributor this year. She entered the division meet seeded 16th in the breast stroke and ended up finishing second.

Freshman Xinnie Mai should also do well this season, as she’s extremely versatile, and is proficient in all four strokes.

Roberta Boeri, an exchange student from Italy, has also looked good early and should be a big factor in the team’s potential success.

“I have talent this year that I haven’t had before,” Gallo said.

The team even has five boys practicing with them. Vets doesn’t have a boys’ team, but three of the swimmers will be allowed to compete independently in the boys’ events.

Overall, Gallo is happy with where the program is and is excited for the season.

“I really see us being more competitive,” Gallo said. “I have a really terrific group of young ladies. They’re smart, funny and fun to be around.”

Pats hope balance will lead them to more wins in D-III

Last season was average for the Pilgrim girls’ swimming team, but with a year under its belt and some newly-infused talent now in the program, the Pats feel that this season should be much better.

“We should have a chance to beat three or four more teams in our division this year,” head coach Nisa San Giovanni said.

The Pats finished 3-5 in D-III last season, but have already shown improvement this year, starting the season with a convincing 49-15 win against Mount Hope in their first dual meet.

Because of the team’s solid showing early in the season, they’ll have three girls swim at a meet at Bay View this weekend – a meet that many of the top girls in the state compete in.

The pats will be led by junior Sophia Caracuzzo, who San Giovanni feels should qualify for the state meet in four events.

“She’s a great swimmer,” San Giovanni said.

Five other girls that should be main contributors are seniors McKenzie Caron and Nicole Gauthier and freshmen Mackenzie Frasor, Fortune Premy and Tessa Seeback.

All-in-all, San Giovanni feels that the team is in a much better spot to succeed this season.

Even though the Pats are 1-0 in dual meets, San Giovanni admitted that they don’t mean too much in retrospect. Her main concern is to get better as the season progresses and to do well at the class meet.

“We’re excited and we’ll see what happens,” San Giovanni said. “I’m happy with the team’s effort so far.”

Titans will look for better results in D-III

The Toll Gate girls’ swimming team went 0-8 in the dual meet season last year in Division II, but have moved down to Division III this season and are hoping to be more competitive.

Things are already looking better for the Titans this season.

Two standout freshmen – Wenona Alexander and Athena Sampalis – have already qualified for states. Both Alexander and Sampalis swim all year round and have brought some great experience to the program. Another freshman, Emma Seidenberg, doesn’t swim all year round, but has shown some promise early on.

This is the first time that Seidenberg will be coached by her dad, Mike Seidenberg.

The Titans will also be led by their two senior captains – Breana Coleman and Abigail Lewis – who are doing their best to motivate their teammates.

Overall, Mike Seidenberg feels that his team should be improved this season, but it’s still too early to tell.

“I really don’t know how the other teams are yet,” Mike Seidenberg said. “We’re just taking everything as it goes along.”

There’s no question that moving down a division will give Toll Gate a much better opportunity to succeed.

“Hopefully (moving down a division) will give our team a chance to be more competitive,” Seidenberg said.

In addition to the two freshmen, Seidenberg is hoping that he can get a couple other swimmers to qualify for the state meet.

“I’m looking forward to the girls working towards their goals,” Seidenberg said. “They’re learning everyday and absorbing everything that we’re telling them.”