Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Ania Axas '19 setting a pool record is newsworthy, but it's not like it hasn't happened before.
What made her most recent feat eye-catching isn't that she established another pool mark, but where she set that mark.
At an invitational Dec. 8 at Trinity College, where college-aged swimmers compete regularly, Ania swam the 100 butterfly in a winning time of 58.38 seconds, topping the previous pool record of 58.96.
Trinity competes in the NESCAC, which includes the likes of Amherst College, Bowdoin College, Middlebury College, Tufts University and Williams College, to name a few.
Ania also teamed with Isabelle Wilson '22, Kristina DiPietro '24 and Xin "Julie" Xiong '20 to tie the school record in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:45.26.
Quotes
Ania on how she felt before her race: "I was a little upset. The 200 free was first and I didn't do as well as I thought in that event. I made sure I warmed up (for the 100 fly)."
Ania on setting a record at a college pool: "It was great setting a college pool record. I don't swim at Trinity often so I went out and made sure that time counted and I did as well as I could. I know Williams and amazing Division III schools swim there, and I know some other (strong) swimmers have (competed) at that pool. It's humbling because I don't see it as that big of a deal. I'm only a year out of college so it's not like that far apart than other people. It was just another meet."
Ania on the team tying the school record in the 200 free relay: "I'm proud of the girls for that. I'm a little bummed we didn't break the record but we'll get it next time. It shows how in shape we are because we were not tapered or rested. It shows we can break the record."
WMA Coach Dan Moran on Ania's 100 fly record: "The other schools on the board are Amherst, Williams, Middlebury - these are really good places, so it shows the dedication Ania has and how is pays off."