The Jericho High School Varsity Girls Swimming & Diving Team finished 11th out of 26 Nassau Schools last weekend at the County Team Championship. The Jericho squad totaled 154 points to finish 11th, each marking dramatic improvements from last season's 79 point 14th place finish at the County Meet.

The Relay quartet of Freshman Emily Cheng, 8th-Grader Isabella Mu, Sophomore Belle Peng, & Junior Jaclyn Murphy led the way with New School Records in both the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay and the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay. The 200 Yard effort of 1:50.93 was good enough for 10th in the County, while the 400 Yard swim of 4:02.71 earned an 8th place finish. Emily Cheng also finaled in two individual events breaking the School Record of 1:04.90 held by Lorraine Brasen (1976) with a time of 1:04.13 in the 100 Yd. Backstroke. Emily finished 7th in that event and also placed 10th in the 200 Yd. Individual Medley with a personal best of 2:24.43. Isabella Mu also turned in an individual final with a 7th place swim in the 200 Yd. Individual Medley with a personal best of 2:20.13 in the Championship Final. Isabella also finished 12th in the 500 Yd. Freestyle (5:37.11). Junior Dara Freudenthal rounded out the individual finalist performances with a hard-fought 9th place finish in the One Meter Dive totaling 289.00 points.

Contributing Consolation finalist swims were Freshman Margaret Meng in the 100 Yd. Backstroke (1:08.74) for 14th Place and Belle Peng in the 100 Yd. Breaststroke (1:16.33) for 12th Place. The 200 Yd. Medley Relay team of Meng, Senior Co-Captain Cassidy Tichner, Junior Michelle Molinari, and Junior Marissa Finn contributed a 17th Place swim to the team total.

Several of the Varsity Swimmers will finish off their 2006 season this Thursday by competing at the Section VIII State Qualifier Meet at the Nassau County Aquatic Center beginning at 6:30 PM.