The Warren County YMCA swim team is off to a splashing start to their 2023-24 season with Coach Sabrina Johnson at the helm and coaches Connor Fehlman and Samara Steber assisting.

Despite changes to the coaching staff this season, the Dolphins began their season in Oil City on Oct. 28 where Trey Retterer made waves right from the start. He qualified for Districts in three events at this meet: 50-yard freestyle (31.29 seconds), 50-yard backstroke (35.74 seconds) and 100-yard freestyle (1:10.68).

Other first-place finishes included newcomer Xavier Campbell in his debut in the 25-yard freestyle (27.49); Melissa N. (2:51.32) and Isaac Stanton (3:20.69) in the 200-yard freestyle; Melissa N. (1:15.98) and Landon Bowers in the 100-yard freestyle (2:01.58); Claire Peterson (1:50.45), Wesley Richard (1:42.79) and Charles Sienkiewicz (1:53.20) in the 100-yard backstroke; Landon Bowers in the 25-yard breaststroke (28.19) and 25-yard butterfly (34.78); Claire Peterson in the 100-yard individual medley (1:40.66); and Samantha Caudill in the 200-yard individual medley (2:39.92).

The Dolphins then took on the County YMCA Swim Team where Hayden Myers joined Trey Retterer as a District qualifier swimming a 51.45 in the 50-meter breaststroke. In this dual meet, Trey Retterer also broke his own record in the individual medley with a time of 1:32.75. The Dolphins won the meet with a score of 1,922 points over County (1,683 points).

First-place finishes included Elliana Stanton (3:19.63), Charles Sienkiewicz (3:37.56) and Levi Peterson (3:14.91) in the 200-meter freestyle; Evie Bunce (1:03.65), Ella Porier (49.19), Richard Wesley (41.84) and Jacob Retterer (29.00) in the 50-meter freestyle; Julia Scutella in the 25-yard backstroke (33.50); Jacob Retterer in the 100-meter backstroke (1:18.88); Landon Bowers (2:13.56), Lucas Bosko (1:45.76), Richard Wesley (1:40.88) and Jacob Retterer (1:09.87) in the 100-meter freestyle; Ellie Dustin (40.44) and Landon Bowers (30.38) in the 25-meter breaststroke; Landon Bowers (43.63) in the 25-meter butterfly; and Elliana Stanton (49.83) in the 50-meter butterfly.

Following two successful dual meets, the Dolphins hosted nine swim teams from around the area for a swimming invitational meet at the Warren YMCA. Approximately 200 swimmers competed against one another on Nov. 11 and three Dolphin swimmers continued on their path to success by obtaining District-qualifying times; Hayden Myers: 50-meter freestyle (38.15), 50-meter beaststroke (51.72); Trey Retterer: 50-meter freestyle (34.57) and 50-meter backstroke (40.32); and Samantha Caudill: 200 individual medley (2:49.87).

The success continued as the Dolphins traveled to Bradford to take on the Baracudas where two more individuals joined the District-qualifying team and one swimmer added to his qualifying events; Emma Peterson: 50-yard freestyle (29.52), Tatiana Piaschyk: 100-yard breaststroke (1:42.09), and Hayden Myers 100-yard breaststroke (1:39.04).

Other first-place finishes included Emma Stanton in the 25-yard freestyle (24.05); Emma Peterson (2:23.36), Charles Sienkiewicz (3:24.51), Levi Peterson (2:54.13) and Christ Orth (2:13.89) in the 200-yard freestyle; Emma Stanton (1:00.79), Claire Peterson (37.26), Nakomis Heeter (43.87), Emma Peterson (29.53), Dmitry Piaschyk (48.59), Lucas Bosko (38.94), Richard Wesley (38.67), and Christ Orth (26.93) in the 50-yard freestyle; Claire Peterson (50.21) in the 50-yard breaststroke; Anna Nickerson (27.48) in the 25-yard backstroke; Landon Bowers

(1:54.27), Noah Porier (1:36.23), Micah Johnson (1:03.16) and Jacob Retterer (1:01.83) in the 100-yard freestyle; Braxton Maynard (1:47.06) in the 100-yard backstroke; Trevor Cook (38.07) in the 25-yard breaststroke; Vanya Kosmina (45.47) in the 50-yard butterfly; and Elliana Stanton (1:34.35) and Landon Bowers (2:11.73) in the 100-yard individual medley.

The Dolphins will spread some holiday cheer participating in the annual Christmas Parade this Friday before they take on the County YMCA Swim Team at home this Saturday. Prior to the holidays, the Dolphins will also travel to Oil City for another Invitational on Dec. 9 and will compete against Jamestown on Dec. 16.