Bulldogs off to 2-0 start
By Skip Pearlman
Last season’s Beacon High School team posted a 6-5 record, but the Bulldogs lost significant talent to graduation.
This year the squad is off to a 2-0 start after defeating Woodlands, 100-68, last week and edging a combined Putnam Valley and Mahopac team on Tuesday (Sept. 10), 86-84.
Natalie Negron, a senior, competes in the breaststroke on Sept. 10. (Photo by S. Pearlman)
The team is hoping for strong seasons from captains Natalie Negron and Dior Gillins, who are both seniors. Thandiwe Knox, a junior and sprint specialist, also returns.
“We’re looking for them to be steady in practice and steady in races,” said Coach Larry Collins.
Serena Jabar, an eighth-grader who swims for the Beacon varsity. (Photo by S. Pearlman)
Eighth-grader Bella Haydt returns after sitting out last year due to an injury, and eighth-grader Serena Jabar and seventh-grader Saniyah Wiltshire will contribute, as well. “There’s some real talent there,” Collins said.
The coach said the team is in reset mode after losing eight swimmers to graduation.
Coach Larry Collins and the Bulldogs swim team, shown here at the Beacon pool, are off to a 2-0 start. (Photo by S. Pearlman)
“If we can [again] finish around .500, we’ll be doing well,” Collins said. “We want to be competitive, have a lot of team spirit, and enjoy what we’re doing. We’ll be rebuilding for a while, which is why the seventh- and eighth-graders and freshmen are so important.”
