Newsday's All-Long Island girls swimming team 2022
Cavan Gormsen on the podium with her medal from the 500-yard freestyle during the CHSAA girls swimming championships at the Nassau Aquatic Center on Nov. 6. Credit: Howard Simmons
Newsday Swimmer of the Year: Cavan Gormsen, Sacred Heart, Sr.
Cavan Gormsen is a once-in-a-generation type of swimmer to come off Long Island.
The Sacred Heart swimmer became a state-record setter from her very first state championship appearance – and from there, the only swimmer that could compete with her in the 500-yard freestyle was herself.
Gormsen, from Wantagh, capped off her historic high school girls swimming career by setting state records in the 200 freestyle in one minute, 45.12 seconds and the 500 freestyle in 4:39.82 at the state championships at the Webster Aquatic Center last month, helping her earn Newsday’s Swimmer of the Year.
Gormsen broke her own record in both events, but setting and resetting the 500 freestyle record became a consistent effort. Gormsen first set the state record as a freshman in the state championships and broke her record four other times.
“Each time she swam that event at states, she broke not only someone else’s record, but her own,” coach Mary White said. “And that’s really something quite impressive.”
Gormsen, who is committed to swim for Virginia and has goals of competing in the Olympics , specializes in longer swims. Outside of high school, she has competed and excelled in some of the top swimming competitions in the world in the 800-meter free and 1,500-meter free. Gormsen finished third in the 800 free at the U.S. Open Championships on Nov. 30 and swam next to Katie Ledecky, one of the most decorated female swimmers of all time.
White said even her peers were in awe of Gormsen at the state championships. Not just Gormsen, but also her teammate Tess Howley, who won state championships in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke and is one of the top swimmers in the country.
“When we were at states this year, people were coming not only to Cavan but Tess as well and they just marveled at their technique in the pool, the way they swam,” White said. “They asked them for their autographs. It was cute and I have never seen that before.”
Suffolk Swimmer of the Year: Leah Treglia, Hauppauge/Smithtown, Sr.
Hauppauge-Smithtown’s Leah Treglia after winning the 100 yard freestyle during a Suffolk girls swim meet against host Connetquot on Oct. 10. Credit: Bob Sorensen
Leah Treglia ended her high school swimming tenure in the record books.
Treglia, a senior at Smithtown West, won the public school state championship in the 100 backstroke with an All-American automatic time of 54.43. Her time also set a Suffolk record in the event, breaking her mark of 54.58 from the Suffolk championships.
The Miami commit was also a member of the team’s 200 medley relay state championship team and 400 freestyle relay team, which won a public school state title. She also placed third in the 100 butterfly in an All-American consideration time of 55.42.
Jane Brierley, East Hampton, Sr.
She won the 100-yard breaststroke in an All-American consideration time of 1:03.75 at the state championships. She is committed to the North Carolina-Asheville.
April Chun, East Meadow District, Soph.
She won the public school state championship in the 500 freestyle in 4:59.93, which was third best in the Federation. Chun finished second in the 100 breaststroke at the Nassau championships.
Clockwise, from left: April Chun of East Meadow, Madison Connor of Garden City, Emily Herr of Shoreham-Wading River, Rachel Yang of Jericho, Kailey Simons and Katie Yee of Herricks, Tess Howley of Sacred Heart.
Madison Connor, Garden City, Sr.
She finished sixth in the 100 and 200 freestyles at the state championships. Connor won the 100 and 200 freestyles races at the Nassau championships.
Emily Herr, Shoreham-Wading River, Soph.
Herr finished fifth in the 200 individual medley and seventh in the 100 breaststroke at the state championships. She won the 200 and 500 freestyles at the Suffolk championships.
Tess Howley, Sacred Heart, Sr.
Howley won the 100 butterfly in 52.80 and 100 backstroke in 53.29 at the state championships. Both were All-American automatic times and her second state title in each event. She is committed to Virginia. She also was a member of Sacred Heart’s state championship 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams.
Sarah Larsen, Sacred Heart, Soph.
She finished second in the 500 freestyle in an All-American consideration time of 4:55.95 and fifth in the 200 freestyle at the state championships. She also was a member of Sacred Heart’s state championship 200 and 400 freestyle relay teams.
Kailey Simons, Herricks, Sr.
She finished second in the 50 freestyle and third in the 100 backstroke at the state championships. She won both events at the Nassau championships.
Rachel Yang, Jericho, Jr.
She won the state diving championship with a score of 571.15 points, which set a record at a state championship event.
Katie Yee, Herricks, Sr.
She finished fourth in the 100 butterfly and seventh in the 200 individual medley at the state championships. She won both events at the Nassau championships.
Hauppauge/Smithtown 200-yard medley relay team
Leah Treglia, Sr.; Madison Dominger, Jr. Sarah Lucca, 7th; Sofia Burns, Jr.
The relay team won the state championship in an All-American consideration time of 1:45.33.
Sacred Heart 200- and 400-yard freestyle relay team
Tess Howley, Sr.; Catherine Dean, Sr., Sarah Larsen, Soph., Cavan Gormsen, Sr.
The relay team won the 200 freestyle state championship in an All-American automatic time of 1:35.23 and won the 400 freestyle state championship in an All-American consideration time of 3:27.73.
