Cara Morris, a junior at Irvington High School, was named the 2009 Girl Swimmer of the Year by the Rivertowns Enterprise. She earned this honor due to her consistent performances and team spirit throughout the season. Her achievements include being the only swimmer from the Rivertowns teams to qualify for the New York State Championships. At the State Championships, Morris finished 30th in the 100 Butterfly event. She discussed her season accomplishments with the team and her goals for next year's season.

1. GIRL SWIMMER OF THE YEAR - 11/27/09
The 2009 Girl Swimmer of the Year chosen by the Rivertowns
Enterprise is Cara Morris of the SHEDI team, and who is a
junior at Irvington High School. She earned the accolade by
reason of her consistency of performance throughout the
season, plus her constantly displayed fine team spirit. Her
record speaks for itself, with her highest distinction being the
fact that she was the single swimmer from the Rivertowns’
teams to qualify for the N.Y. State Championship.
Morris started the season at home on Sept. 15th, with New
Rochelle, when she was on both the 200 Individual Medley
and Freestyle Relay winning foursomes. In the Sept. 17th
meet at Mamaroneck, she was part of the wins recorded by
the 200 Medley Relay Team, as well as the 200 Freestyle
quartet. On Sept. 22nd, in a close encounter with Bronxville,
Morris won the 100 Butterfly race, and then repeated the
success in a meet at White Plains on Sept. 24th.
On Oct. 6th, in the annual meeting with Ardsley/Hastings at
home on Oct. 6th, Morris copped both the 200 Freestyle plus
the 100 Butterfly, in this perhaps her most outstanding
showing of the season.
Morris's next victory came on Oct. 13th, when she again
prevailed in the 100 Butterfly (1:06.22), and this win was
followed by her copping of the 50 Freestyle with guests
Eastchester, on Oct. 15th. She repeated her win in the same
event once more at home on Oct. 19th, with Croton-Harmon
as the opposition. In the season finale, at Yonkers High on
Oct. 20th, she once again was the winner of the 100 Butterfly
(1:05.89), and then, at the Sectional Championship on Oct.
24th, Morris finished 4th with a time of 1:05.34) in the season
finale of the same event.

2. At the State Championship on Nov. 20-21st, Morris finished
30th in the event, and had these thoughts regarding the
experience to share with our readers: "I qualified for States in
the 100 Butterfly. At prelims on Nov. 20th, I went a lifetime
best time of 1:00.57, which qualified me for finals the next
day. Although I didn't go a best time on Saturday, (1:04.41), it
was still faster than my entering time for the State meet, which
was 1:01.48 from Sectionals. Having never been to States
before, I am proud to say that during my first States meet, I
qualified for finals, and got 30th place out of the entire State. It
was a great experience, and I can't wait to go next year with
more of my teammates. Our 400 Freestyle Relay has a great
shot with Gabby Susz, Meagan Gallaher, Alexia Boumis, and
myself. Also, Eilis Klein has a great shot at the 100
Backstroke, along with Susz in the 100 Freestyle. Our Section
1 girls won the States meet over all of the 11 different sections
from all over New York. In the 100 Fly alone, half of the
swimmers who qualified for finals came from Section 1"
Speaking of her SHEDI team's season, Morris added: "We
had a very successful one. We have never had all 3 of our
relay teams qualify for Sectionals before, and I am the second
to do so, after Christina Costa, to have qualified for States.
We have a very young team, which just promises success for
the future season. We had amazing additions to the team,
such as Taylor McClung, Karen Doh, Kristi Wong, Maggie
Flynn, Gabby Susz, and Caroline Mitchell. We finished the
season with a good 8-3 record. I would like to thank my
amazing coaches - Jen McCardle, Lara Vivolo, and Bob
Ellisberg for an amazing season , and of course my friends
and family, who supported me all the way ".
-Richard Miller