Nora Diefenbacher in her 100 Breast swim for the Norwich YMCA Dolphins. Diefenbacher broke the record with a time of 1:23.69. Congratulations, Nora. (Photo from Coach Diefenbacher)

NORWICH —The Norwich YMCA Dolphins wrapped up their regular dual meet season on Saturday, Jan. 10. The three-meet run saw continual improvement with two meets against the Watertown Blue Sharks and Auburn Stingrays heading into the holiday season.

The Watertown home meet saw 43 best times and just under 2 minutes of collective time drops with the Auburn away meet seeing 16 best times and 27 seconds dropped. Ending the dual meet season was an impressive meet against the Oneida YMCA Dolphins on Jan. 10. 41 personal best times, just over 2 minutes 32 seconds of collective time drops, four more state qualifying swims, and a whopping 4 records were broken in a meet that brought out some of the best in the swimmers.

Nora Diefenbacher broke the 9-10 Girls 100-yard Breaststroke record with a 1:23.69 bettering the previous record by over 20 seconds; Reigan Aikins now holds the 9-10 girls 200IM record with a 3:11.55 and reset the 9-10 girls 500 freestyle record with a 7:08.84 bettering the previous record by over 34 seconds. Rounding out the record-breaking swims was Nick Mitchell of the 13-14 boys now owning the 200-breaststroke record with a 3:36.52.

“There were so many good swims at this meet. The coaches are very proud of the swimmers! We train at a high level, employ various types of drills both old and innovative, and the swimmers are really starting to see the outcomes from their practices payoff.”

Also continuing their domination in the Central New York YMCA League is the 9-10 Girls age group consisting of Nora Diefenbacher, Reigan Aikins, Kennedy Foulds, Milena Beltz, Adeline Vazquez, Laura Coye, and Ellie Ryan. They closed out their dual meet season undefeated, making this the second year in a row. Great prospects heading into the 2026 CNY YMCA District Championships meet hosted by the Norwich Dolphins on Feb 7&8 this year at the Norwich YMCA.

Another highlight of the meet was the MiniDolphins relay teams. Each member of the 6-year-old squad was able to complete a 100 freestyle relay. This was in addition to their 2 other individual events and showcased the strength and endurance these little swimmers have gained throughout the season.

The Dolphins were also able to honor their long-time team member Tim Guezewich at his final home meet of his career for the Dolphins and YMCA swimming. Having swam for the dolphins since he was six years old, Tim has always been a great supporter of the team and his teammates. He embodies the spirit of a supportive teammate and resilient competitor that sets a great example for the younger swimmers. Over the years, Tim has shown that while he may not always get his best times when he swims, he will reflect on those races, get back on the block, and try again even against great obstacles. He is a team mate that has left a lasting impression on the Dolphins.

The Dolphins now focus on preparations for the CNY YMCA District Championship meet, hosted by the Norwich Dolphins at the Norwich YMCA on Feb 7 and 8.

-Information from the Norwich YMCA Dolphins