Ania Axas '19 sets second swim record

After a pair of near misses, Wilbraham & Monson Academy's Ania Axas '19 has her second swimming record.

Eleven days after setting a pool mark in the 500 Freestyle, Ania swam to a school record in the 200 Individual Medley.

In a meet at Hamden Hall Jan. 27, Ania covered the 200 IM in two minutes, 17 seconds, breaking the previous mark of 2:19 set by Ivy Durepo '13 in 2011.

"I really wanted to break it that meet," said Ania, who came within less than a second of the 200 IM school record twice this season at previous meets. "And, Mr. (Dan) Moran told me there would be a girl at the meet who was my speed and she would be in one of my races and she's a senior who does USA Swimming age groups. She really pushed me."

Ania suffered a rare defeat that race. She felt somewhat dejected and didn't look at her time after she touched the wall. Then two teammates rushed over to her, and Ania's outlook quickly changed.

"I knew I had lost," Ania explained. "I was kind of disappointed, but then Marissa (Fabbo '17) and Christina (Felchner '16) came over and told me I broke the record so I was really happy. I was happy because I've been trying to get it and I was really surprised and shocked, but happy."

Ania set the WMA pool record in the 500 Jan. 16 in a meet against Cheshire Academy. She's won all of her races except two in her first season of high school swimming.

"My season is going very well," Ania said. "I like all the training I've done so far and I think I'm getting better and better. I can't wait for New Englands."