Student Feature Friday: Nipmuc's Swimmers Competing at the State Championships

Nipmuc Swimmers Shannon Dowd (2nd from left),
Taylahna Rowland (4th from left),
and Carly Thibodeau (far right). 

The 2014-15 school year has been distinguished by the tremendous achievement of our student athletes. As we head into the vacation week, I’m excited to report on another Nipmuc team that is experiencing exceptional success. This weekend, the Nipmuc-Northbridge-Grafton swim team (a cooperative team comprised of students from each of the towns) will make their way to the state championship swim meet at MIT.

Three Nipmuc students – juniors Shannon Dowd and Carly Thibodeau & freshman Taylahna Rowland – will compete on Saturday following their awesome performances at last weekend’s sectionals.

I’m thrilled to feature these students as we wish them well tomorrow in the states! Good luck!

Shannon Dowd
Q. What is your event?
A. 100 Breaststroke, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay and 400 Freestyle Relay

Q. When did you start swimming competitively?
A. I started swimming competitively at age 8 on a swim team called Whitinsville Blue Dolphins.

Q. What is your favorite memory from the season?
A. My favorite memory from the swim season was the league meet which is the last swim meet of the season before sectionals and states. Everybody on the team was so excited and we had a great time.

Q. What are you most excited for in competing at the state finals on Saturday?
A. I am most excited about competing in the state finals on Saturday because I get to share the moment with the people who trained by my side all season in order to qualify for the big meet.

Taylahna Rowland
Q. What is your event?
A. 200 Medley Relay, 200 Individual Medley, 100 Backstroke, 200 Free Relay

Q. When did you start swimming competitively?
A. I started swimming when I was 2. I started swimming competitively when I was 7.

Q. What is your favorite memory from the season?
A. My favorite memory was the sectional meet when all our relays qualified for states.

Q. What are you most excited for in competing at the state finals on Saturday?
A. I'm most excited to try and place in the top twenty since I'm seeded in the top twenty. I really want to do well so we will be able to set team records as well as individual records.

Carly Thibodeau
Q. What is your event?
A. Butterfly, but I’m going to States for 200 Medley Relay and 400 Free Relay

Q. When did you start swimming competitively?
A. I started swimming competitively when I was 10 years old in 4th grade for the recreational team Milford Stingrays.

Q. What is your favorite memory from the season?
A. My favorite memory from the season is the first time we qualified a relay for Sectionals. Our team previously had only sent one girl’s relay to Sectionals in team history, so it was very gratifying to know our hard work and training paid off, and that I got to be a part of that team history. I was so excited that I had contributed to our success! And my positivity resulting from qualifying lent itself to a very good rest of the meet, celebrating with my teammates and beating other times.

Q. What are you most excited for in competing at the state finals on Saturday?
A. I'm excited for States on Saturday because it is a chance to gain recognition and accomplishment for my team. The energy in the air at big meets like this is invigorating, as well as the team spirit. We have all worked incredibly hard these past few months, and to be able to make it to the highest level of competition, even though we come from a small team, is very exciting.

Good luck Carly, Shannon, and Taylahna! Next week I'm excited to feature our four track athletes who are also competing in the state competition this weekend. Go Warriors!