Boca High swim team celebrates state title

Published March 4th, 2008

By Mario Sarmento
SPORTS EDITOR

Thursday night was a night of celebration for the Boca Raton High swimming teams, which were honored in a ceremony at the school auditorium for the best overall performance in school history.

After two years of near misses, the girls team finally won the elusive state championship. The boys rebounded from a 37th place finish last year to place third, the second-highest finish in school history.

Thursday, the girls received their state championship rings, as well as navy warm-ups with the words “state champions” on the back. The boys received T-shirts with their accomplishments written on the back.

The warm-ups and T-shirts were provided by school principal Dr. Geoff McKee and Athletic Director Bill Massey.
“We definitely wanted the ring,” senior Danielle Caruso said. “We waited all three months for this.”

The rings were designed by Boca Raton coach Eric Hill, his assistant Megan and girls team captain Ashforth Woody.

Inscribed in the ring is “Bobcats,” the name of the girl the ring belongs to and “state champions.”

“It was great,” Hill said. “This was long-awaited, happy that it’s finally here. It was an exciting evening.”

Earlier in the week, the Bobcats’ championship banner was raised in the school gymnasium; it hangs next to the one belonging to the last team to win a state title, the 1990 boys soccer team. This was also the first state title for a girls team in Boca Raton High’s 45-year history.

For the seniors, Carly Pike, Alison Merrill, Caruso and Woody, the ceremony provided a last memory as members of the Bobcats before they go to college.

Caruso said she would miss most, “how close we all are. We all just get along really well.”

Hill said, “We’re going to miss them a lot. They were a huge part of our success this year. But that’s what happens in high school.”

The girls have received plenty of recognition around school for their achievements.