Lauren Canty, Sophia Lyons, relay team propel Sacred Heart girls swimming to eighth straight CHSAA title
Sacred Heart wins the team title during the CHSAA Intersectional girls swimming championships at the Nassau Aquatic Center on Sunday. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
The Sacred Heart girls swimming team trailed by five points heading into the 400-yard freestyle relay — the final event of the CHSAA championships.
The Sacred Heart 400-yard freestyle relay team of Allie Hayes, Morgan Harkins, Lauren Canty and Sophia Lyons were ready of the moment, finishing in a winning time of three minutes, 33.15 seconds to secure the Spartans' eighth straight girls swimming CHSAA intersectional team title, coach Mary White said, on Sunday at the Nassau County Aquatic Center in East Meadow.
Sacred Heart pulled off a one-point finish over St. Anthony’s with a final team score of 821.
“I had to realize that the race was for something bigger than myself,” Canty said. “I knew I had to do it so that my team could succeed. The mindset was just to have confidence in my other teammates and be able to hype them up and encourage them that they can get it done.”
Canty also won the 200-yard freestyle (1:52.42), 500-yard freestyle (4:57.25) and helped the 200-yard freestyle relay team to a first-place finish (1:39.08) alongside Hayes, Harkins and Lyons.
Lyons won the 200-yard individual medley in 2:08.84.
Sacred Heart's Sadie Davidoff finished second behind Canty in the 200 (1:54.23) and 500 free (5:02.21). In a meet where every event was crucial, Davidoff said seeing her whole team pull together for the win was the most memorable part.
“Varsity has really taught me to trust my team, trust the girls and how much work they all put in,” Davidoff said. “I love these girls. They’re my sisters and I would do anything for them. It’s great to see us win and to be able to do it together. That’s the special part about it.”
St. Anthony’s sophomore Katie King was named swimmer of the meet after winning the 50-yard freestyle (23.66), 100-yard butterfly (55.20) and swimming butterfly on the winning 200-yard medley relay team (1:45.34) alongside Meredith Kieran, Lily Baynon and Eva Fagundes.
White said even with eight titles in a row, the feeling never gets old. To her, it’s the camaraderie that matters most.
“What I love about this group is that we have swimmers at all different levels and they all support each other and cheer each other on,” White said. “That’s what makes this group special. I’ve been coaching for 32 years now and that’s what makes this the best.”
TEAM STANDINGS
Sacred Heart, 821
St. Anthony's, 820
Kellenberg, 483
St. Francis Prep, 381
Sacred Heart Academy (Buff.), 286
The Mary Louis Academy, 262
Nardin Academy, 195
Holy Trinity, 165
Mount St. Mary Academy, 130
St. John the Baptist, 111
St. Mary's, 85
Tess Ferguson is a reporter on Newsday's high school sports staff. She joined the team after graduating with a journalism degree from Ithaca College in 2025.
