The Randolph Girls Swimming team capped off a dominant season by winning its second straight state sectional championship, defeating Morris Knolls 105-65 in the final round on Thursday, Feb. 12.

“Going into the final, the team felt confident about our line up and our ability to race to the end,” senior Alivia Wright said.  

The meet started off tense, with both teams on edge with an in-conference matchup. In the 200 medley, the Rams started strong, placing second, third and fourth, earning the points needed to move forward. 

Going into the 200 free, senior Sydney Wright dominated with a time of 2:00.61. Freshman Sofia Saguillo Leppanen and sophomore Taylor Holtzman earned third and fourth place to complete the heat.  

In the 200 individual medley, A. Wright earned second place, while sophomore Reese Nelson earned first in the 50 free with a time of 26.09.  

Moving into the second half of the meet, the girls felt confident, having some early wins under their belt with more to come.  

“We kept pushing each other to work harder and swim faster every practice and meet leading up to state sectionals,” sophomore Julianna Young said.  

Young earned first in the 100 butterfly, with senior Peyton Enama and sophomore Angelica Sandoval right behind, gaining needed team points in challenging events.  

Randolph continued to dominate in the freestyle events. S. Wright earned first in the 100 free. In the 500 free, the Rams earned an impressive 1-2-3 stack with sophomore Ashley McDonnell earning first, and S. Saguillo Leppanen and Holtzman earning second and third.  

Moving into the final events of the meet, the girls stayed calm and kept each other motivated. With a win in the 200 free relay, they moved into the 100 back, with Young earning the much-needed first-place finish.  

In the 100 breaststroke, junior Alba Saguillo Leppanen, A. Wright and sophomore Einav Knoll placed second, third and fourth, locking in Randolph’s dominance.  

Going into the final event, Randolph was already up and just had to finish. The 400 free relay team of S. Wright, Nelson, McDonnell and Young solidified first place and the win for Randolph.  

“I hope to always bring contagious energy and the belief that anything is possible,” Young said. “We are willing to swim whatever event is necessary to help the team win.”

With a 7-1 record, Randolph now advances to face Chatham in the group semifinals on Thursday Feb. 19, as the Rams look to continue their championship run.