Can the Eagles make it 10 in a row?

Barrington High School girls swim coach Sandy Gorham said it is possible. 

“I think we have the potential to do it again. That would be really, really exciting,” Gorham said.

The BHS girls swim team, which entered the current season as the nine-time defending Division I State Champions, has a deep roster, Gorham said. In addition, the Eagles also have a number of versatile swimmers — girls who are strong in numerous events. 

“I think one of the keys to the girls team is the flexibility,” Gorham said, adding that having versatile swimmers allows him to adjust lineups from meet to meet. 

Michelle Xian is one of the versatile BHS swimmers, Gorham said. The senior captain can swim all four strokes, and she is not alone. Lara Tolley, Reese Graveline, and Molly DiGiacomo are some of the other swimmers who can score points in just about any event, Gorham said. 

Graveline and DiGiacomo are freshmen and have impressed Gorham so far this season. 

“Molly has a shot of being one of the top sprinters in the state,” Gorham said. “When we swam North Kingstown and Prout, she beat a couple of veteran swimmers. And Reese is very versatile. She can swim any stroke at any distance.”

Gorham credited the work of local youth swim teams, preparing athletes to compete at the high school level. 

“They grow under these age-group coaches and I just polish them up,” Gorham said. “I’ve been very fortunate.”

Gorham said this year’s team has a great group of captains — Xian, Laurie Garcia and Emma Bell. He also praised the hard work of Maude Smith-Montross, Ava Webster, and Kate McAdams. 

“I’ve always said that chemistry is so important. They continue to promote ‘team.’ They’re all about team. If I’ve done anything right about swimming, I’ve taken out the individual and promoted the team, and they buy into it,” Gorham said.

Barrington opened the season with wins over Lincoln (66-28), Lincoln (54-39), North Kingstown (59-35) and LaSalle (53-39). 

Boys team

The two-time defending state champion Eagles have opened the season with a 3-1 record. 

Gorham said his team has a number of talented swimmers, led by Keith Hartman, who is “one of the top distance swimmers in the state.”

Gorham also praised senior Gavin Nelson, who serves as team captain. 

Gorham mentioned Ben Choi-Schattle, a sophomore who scored well in the state meet last year and has performed very well this season. Gorham said Justin Kuo is a strong competitor in the breaststroke, and Adyn Duru, a freshman, has been “outstanding.” Duru competes in the sprint freestyle and butterfly events. 

A returning contributor is junior Ben McClelland, who competes in sprint freestyle and backstroke. 

Gorham also spoke highly of Harrison Barakos (butterfly and backstroke) and Leo Katz (breaststroke). 

“They’re very good, they work hard. They’re buying in. When you have a large group of upperclassmen it’s easier,” Gorham said, adding “They’ve all bought in. They try hard. They’re coming on.”

Gorham said this year’s boys team has been impressive so far this season, despite missing a few expected swimmers from the roster. Some, he said, have been unable to compete because of injuries while others chose to participate on other winter sports teams at the high school. 

Barrington defeated Lincoln (60-34), Prout Co-op (63-28), and LaSalle (57-29). The Eagles’ lone loss was against North Kingstown (44-50).