As the fall sports season kicks off, the swim team is diving into some big changes. The previous Ledyard co-op with St. Bernard has joined the Fitch co-op, which consists of Fitch, Stonington, Marine Science Magnet, and Grasso Technical High School. Previous Ledyard Head Coach Katey Kokomoor explained that “The Ledyard co-op was too small to continue on our own.” With the additional two schools and new swimmers, the Fitch co-op is now the largest team in the ECC, with 24 swimmers this year; the next largest has only 18. Of those 24 swimmers, seven are from LHS. Ava Burke (12) and Madison Castleman (10) are the only returning swimmers. A strong wave of new swimmers joins them: Riley Stankiewicz (10), Lucia Via y Rada (10), Maybelle Clampitt (9), Tori Grant (9), and Avery Medina (9).
Coach Katey Kokomoor, now in her 8th year coaching Ledyard girls and first year assisting in the Fitch co-op, is joined by Head Coach Alison Colussi (6th season) and Assistant Coach Molly Condron (7th season, 6th as assistant). The coaches and swimmers have set the bar high for the season, with most swimmers hoping to go undefeated in the regular season. When Kokomoor was asked about the upcoming season, she said, “I’m excited for this season; the new co-op is going well. The girls from the (Ledyard) co-op, have all integrated very well…The co-op is giving us more opportunities to have well-rounded relays and team. I’m very excited, and I think we’re going to have a really good season.”
Returning swimmer Ava Burke, a senior this year, was asked her thoughts about the season so far; she stated, “As for the team environment, I think everyone in the co-op is already very close. The team is very strong; I think we have a chance of winning ECCs for the first time. We have six freshmen, three from Ledyard, some come with some experience, and others don’t have any, but they are already doing really well.” Newcomer Clampitt was asked how she was feeling about the team so far this season. She said, “I’m really excited about this season because it’s not like any other swim team I’ve been on before… I’ve already improved a lot, and I’m excited to see where I can get by the end of the season. The whole team is really, really nice; there is lots of team spirit and team events. I love all the things we do.”
The Fitch co-op is already off to a great start, already backing up their big goals. The team has dominated in their first few meets, with a 3-0 record. In the first meet against Laurelton Hall, a non-league meet, the Falcons won 88-77. At their first official ECC meet against Waterford, they secured a 91-74 win. On September 22, the co-op faced Shoreline Co-op in Haddam, Connecticut, and won 96- 72. On September 26, the team had their home opener at UConn Avery Point against East Lyme, they won 85-80. This week, the team will face Glastonbury, 9/29, NFA, 10/2, and The West Hartford Invite, 10/3.
Riley Stankiewicz , Staff Writer
Sophomore Riley Stankiewicz is a staff writer for the 2026-2027 Colonel News Site. She is a competitive swimmer and enjoys listening to music, reading, and hanging out with friends.
