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Season Preview: W-H boys diving into WHAM swim program

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The boys will now join the girls as part of the Whitman-Hanson/Middleboro swim team co-op this winter.

Six years back, Whitman-Hanson Regional High partnered with the longstanding Middleboro High girls’ swimming/diving team to form a co-op, and this season they’ve expanded that partnership.

If you’re a boy and attend Whitman-Hanson, you can make a splash in the pool as the school now offers it as a boys’ sport as well.

“I am very excited to have a boys’ team,” W-H head coach Sean Siciliano said. “We are one team – Middleboro and Whitman Hanson. W-H having a boys’ team allows us to increase the numbers for that team and it also gives us depth as a team.”

As a far as meets go, nothing will change. After either the boys or girls square off against their opposition in one event, the next will do the same, and so on until the meet has concluded.

While the sport still gains traction among boys at W-H, two swimmers – junior Nate Manley and freshman Brian Pham – have joined the squad this year from the school. Both come from different backgrounds.

“Manley is a new swimmer, meaning he has never swam competitively, but is very coachable and will be versatile on the team,” Siciliano said. “Then we have Pham, who swims on a club team. At this point he is the fastest kid on the team. He is a great kid great athlete and very receptive to feedback.”

GIRLS’ TEAM

As for the girls’ team, which finished last season at 4-6, Siciliano said he hopes for much of the same success for his swimmers.

Captaining the club from W-H will be senior Phoebe Bonney, who despite nursing a hip injury last season that hindered her in the pool, still had a positive impact.

“She continues to rehab that and we are hoping that we can get her back to full health in the near future,” Siciliano said. “Outside of the pool she is and amazing leader. She is always helping new swimmers, helping us coaches and looking out for what is best for the team.”

Sophomore Madison Navicky, who concluded the year with a co-team-high four medals, was a key contributor in a series of events, including the 200-yard medley relay, 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke. Siciliano said her versatility is a huge asset to the team.

“She can swim pretty much anything and she is just fun to have a practice,” he said. “She is an amazing swimmer and an amazing leader and she is so coachable I think that she will be one of the biggest contributors for the girls team this season.”

Anchoring the 1-meter dive will be Sabrina O’Connor, who concluded her campaign last season by scoring 180 points at the South Shore Championships.

“She has started the season out well and should thrive this year as she increases her variety of dives and increases her DD,” Siciliano said.

Others from W-H penned on the roster include freshmen Mariella Crowley, Leah Hutchings and Erin Tilley and sophomore Niki Kamperides.

WHAM will be back in competition on Thursday, Dec. 14 at 4:15 p.m. at Burkland Pool in Middleboro against Randolph.

“I would love to send at least on relay from both the boys’ and the girls’ [team] to states,” Siciliano said. “Last year the boys didn’t make it but the girls did and I think this year they could both make it if we train hard all season.”

One dead in Halifax head-on collision

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A head-on motor vehicle accident on Route 58 in Halifax Tuesday night left Richard March, 78, of South Meadow Rd, Carver, driver of a 2005 Honda CRV, trapped in his vehicle with serious injuries sustained at approximately 8:46 p.m.  He was transported by med-flight to a hospital in Boston where he died several hours later.

Alec Dowie, 51, of Washington St., Whitman, the operator of the 2018 Dodge Challenger, was transported to South Shore Hospital where he is listed in stable condition.

A landing zone was cleared at Walmart for March, who had been trapped in the Honda CRV. He was airlifted to Boston Brigham and Women’s Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries, according to State Police Media Spokesperson David Procopio.

Halifax Police Chief Theodore Broderick was on scene with investigators for several hours Tuesday night as the State Police Reconstruction and Analysis Team began their investigation in cooperation with Halifax Police.   Firefighters and EMS were seen debriefing in a circle with Fire Chief Jason Viveiros, the wreckage just a few feet away.

Remnants of the two mangled vehicles and debris were scattered down Route 58, Monponsett Street, at Palmer Mill Road.  Parts of vehicles and orange spray paint marked lines in the road and were still visible as police returned to the scene Wednesday morning, according to Chief Broderick.

A preliminary investigation by State police suggests at approximately 8:46 p.m. a 2018 Dodge Challenger heading north on Monponsett Street and a 2005  Honda  CRV heading south on Monponsett collided head-on, said Procopio.

Their initial investigations indicate that the driver of the Dodge Challenger did not negotiate the curve at the intersection of Palmer Mill Road and lost control of his vehicle between the southbound and northbound lanes. The investigation is still active and ongoing, said Procopio.

Sgt. Theodore Benner of Halifax Police and the S Procopio told The Express that investigations can take several weeks to determine the cause of the crash.

First responders from Halifax, Plympton, Hanson and the State Police assisted at the scene, and at the landing zone at Walmart following the crash.

Season Preview: Next goals in the pool: Girls’ swim team members showing growth, potential for coming season

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Middleboro/Whitman-Hanson girls’ high school swimming/diving head coach Sean Siciliano feels his team has “good variety” in the events as it prepares for the new season.

The Middleboro/Whitman-Hanson girls’ swimming/diving team is eager to make a splash this winter.

Five years back, in an effort to offer more females the opportunity to participate in sports at Whitman-Hanson, the school partnered with the longstanding Middleboro girls’ swimming team to form a co-op.

Swimming is one of the unique sports which focus on both individual and team results. Not only can the club qualify for the postseason, but each individual swimmer can as well based on personal times throughout the season and as part of relay teams.

Legacy

One key swimmer the club will be poised with finding a replacement for is Abigail Bailey (Whitman-Hanson). The two-time captain was tabbed a Patriot League All-Star over her final two seasons and was part of the fastest 400-yard freestyle relay team in program history, ranks eighth in the 50 freestyle and ninth in the 200 individual medley.

From Middleboro, 2015-16 Patriot League All-Stars Lauren Foley and Alyssa Lusardi boasted lustrous careers also, having both qualified for states last winter.

Each meet features a wide array of events including: the 200-yard medley relay, 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard individual medley, 50-yard freestyle, 1-meter dive, 100-yard butterfly, 100-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle relay, 100-yard backstroke, 100-yard breaststroke and 400-yard freestyle relay. Coach Sean Siciliano said depending on the meet and the other teams’ times, swimmers will be shuffled around so they can maximize their score.

“Based on the first couple weeks, I think we will have good variety,” Siciliano said. “We have many girls that should be very versatile in multiple events, which is always helpful in swimming.”

Returning

Junior Phoebe Bonney is one returning swimmer Siciliano said he will be leaning on to have a solid season for multiple factors.

“I think that her versatility and her leadership will be huge for the team this year,” the third-year coach said.

As for newcomers, freshman Niki Kamperides has caught the eye of Siciliano thus far.

“She has shown great growth through the first couple weeks and I feel that she will be a big part of the team’s success,” Siciliano said.

After its first two contests, the club will break for the holiday and Siciliano said he always looks ahead to that next battle, which will be on Tuesday, Jan. 3 this season.

“I am looking forward to the North Quincy meet,” Siciliano said. “We have double sessions all week. Our athletes come out in amazing shape and do some great times after this week.”

W-H on deck

In addition to Bonney and Kamperides, other Whitman-Hanson swimmers on the roster include: Mary Hutchings, Maeve McDonough, Maddie Navicky, Sabrina O’Connor and Nadear Suraphanpirosh.

Middleboro/Whitman-Hanson girls’ swimming will take on Rockland Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 4:30 p.m. at Burkland Pool in Middleboro to kick off its slate of meets.

“I hope to continue to grow the program and get more girls to swim and continue to grow the great partnership that we have with Middleborough,” Siciliano said.