Huntington Girls Varsity Swim Opens 2026 Season with Strong Performances

The Huntington Girls Varsity Swim team has jumped into the 2026 season with a strong mix of experienced seniors, talented underclassmen and a growing list of county-qualifying performances.

Huntington is one of several “combined teams” in Suffolk County, a result of the declining number of pools and the challenge of fielding full teams at individual schools. For several years, Huntington has joined forces with Harborfields, Walt Whitman and John Glenn for both the girls and boys swimming seasons, creating a competitive program that brings athletes from across the four schools together.

This year’s girls squad is led by a large and talented group of seniors. Huntington seniors Gemma Bedell, Alison Hahn, Avery Joynt, Sena Knopf and Ella Van Horn are joined by Harborfields seniors Antonia Cuthbertson and Charlotte Stratton. The senior class is supported by three talented juniors: Huntington’s Campbell Proctor, Walt Whitman’s Emma Solimeno and Harborfields’ Lily Reilly.

The team began the season with outdoor practices at the Centerport Yacht Club before returning to its regular training routine at the Huntington YMCA.

Competition got underway with a season-opening meet against the combined William Floyd/Center Moriches team. The team came away with a victory, while all three relays achieved county qualifying times. Proctor also earned a county qualifying time in the 100-yard butterfly, while sophomore Lauren Reed qualified in the 100-yard backstroke.

The team returned to competition the following day, traveling to Central Islip to face the combined West Islip/Lindenhurst squad. The girls once again came away with a victory, and two additional individual county qualifying times were recorded. Reed and Reilly both qualified for the county championships in the 100-yard butterfly.

The team’s third meet brought a significant challenge as the combined Huntington/Harborfields/Walt Whitman/John Glenn squad traveled to Hauppauge to take on the powerful Smithtown/Hauppauge team. Although the girls suffered their first loss of the season, the meet provided valuable competition and an opportunity for swimmers to test themselves against a strong opponent. Several athletes recorded personal-best performances, and the team also improved upon two of its county relay qualifying times.

In addition to the team’s senior leaders and early county qualifiers, several other athletes will be ones to watch throughout the season. From Huntington, Riley Lewis, Maeve Frintzilas and Emily Schmid are contributing to the team’s depth and competitiveness. Walt Whitman is represented by Olivia Welsh, MacKenzie Cardona and Madison Clarke, while Harborfields swimmers Isabella Gervase, Isadora Doeschner, and Giada O’Hanlon are also expected to play important roles as the season progresses.

With a strong senior class, emerging junior talent and a deep group of returning and developing swimmers, the 2026 Huntington Girls Varsity Swim team has made an impressive opening statement. The combination of experience, depth and early county qualifying performances sets the stage for an exciting season ahead.