The DHS girls’ swim team opened the 2008-09 season with a pair of wins, beating Hanover/Rockland in its opener, 94-82, while taking first in 11 of 12 events. Even though Duxbury had a 50-point lead by the fifth event, Duxbury relay teams motored to two state and one sectional qualifying time.

The meet opened with Krista Librett (backstroke), Molly Davis (butterfly), Avery Riddle (breaststroke), and Gabby Pipp (freestyle) splashing to first (2:05.75) with a state cut time.

In the very next event, sophomore Sarah Goldberg ripped a 2:05.16 time in the 200-yard freestyle to nail down her trip to the State championships. Riddle posted a 2:09.35 (2nd) and qualified for sectionals as a freshman, while Katelyn Coghlan was third. Goldberg also won the 100-yard backstroke in another state qualifying time (1:05.36), with Librett taking third (1:09.13) and Hailey Chatlin placing fourth.

Pipp was the only double event winner, as the senior captain took the 100-yard freestyle in a sectional time of 1:00.50, just ahead of Laura Husted and Alix Brady, who completed the sweep. Pipp also won the 200-yard individual medley by four seconds over Davis and third-place finisher Hilary Dudley.

The race of the day was the 50-yard freestyle, where returning sprinter Emily Hutchinson squared off against two freshmen: Riddle and Husted. When the splashing was over, Hutchinson was first (21.17,) Riddle was  second (27.56) and Husted took third (27.78,) as all three qualified for sectionals.

In other individual events, Brady beat out Hutchinson to take first in the 100-yard butterfly (1:10.31,) while Librett took second in the 500-yard freestyle endurance contest in a state-qualifying time of 6:06.81. Chatlin was third and Dudley took fourth in the marathon swim. Kassie Sweeney nosed out senior co-captain Lauren Wilson and Davis to win the 100-yard breaststroke.

The divers swept their event with freshman Sam Tougas scoring a 152.48 to win over Carly Tillotson (133.80) and Kelly Masgul 105.53.

In the 200-yard freestyle relay, Brady, Librett, Hutchinson and Briana Murphy cruised to a win (1:54.56,) while Laura Nelson, Coghlan, Andrea Celino and Dierdre Murphy took third.

The last event featured four underclassmen teaming up in the 400-yard freestyle relay.  Goldberg, Hutchinson, Husted and Riddle let everyone know they have arrived, as they won by more than pool length and touched six seconds faster than the State qualifying time (3:59.90.)

Two days after the victory over Hanover/Rockland, the Dragons hosted Hingham at the Percy Walker Pool. Once again the depth and speed of the Lady Dragons propelled them to a 90-82 win.

Kaitlin Buckley was the only double event winner. The junior veteran qualified for states in the 200-yard IM with a 2:20.46, while Pipp took second in a sectional time of 2:28.15 and Coghlan was third. Buckley also won the 100-yard breaststroke (1:16.19) by a half- pool length in a second state qualifying time. Coghlan was second and co-captain Wilson was third.

Riddle nailed down her first trip to states with a speedy swim in the 100-yard freestyle 57.72, touching out Pipp (59.32) and fellow freshman Husted (1:02.56.)

Goldberg made her third individual state cut in the 500-yard freestyle. The sophomore cruised to a 5:38.81 with Librett (6:03.53) and Katie Brasington right behind.

The 50-yard freestyle featured a photo finish, as Husted, Brady and Dudley all touched within a second and swept the event.

Brady just missed a sectional cut in the 100-yard butterfly (1:10.19) to take first, while Librett finished second.

In the other individual events, Hutchinson won the 200-yard freestyle over Sweeney (2nd) and Casey Walker, while Chatlin (1st) inched out Mary Courtney Madigan (2nd) and Dudley (3rd) in the 100-yard backstroke.

Duxbury relay teams swept all three team events, as the 200-yard medley relay team of Librett, Brasington, Dudley and Murphy took first, while Husted, Coghlan, Sweeney and Hutchinson topped Murphy, Sweeney, Librett and Lindsey Currier in the 200-yard freestyle relay.

Even with the win assured, the team of Goldberg, Hutchinson, Riddle and Pipp slashed two seconds off their season best in the 400-yard freestyle, touching in 3:58.90.

“We have several experienced upper classmen and some motivated freshmen,” said Coach Jay Craft. “ This will give us good depth, as long as we commit to work hard for the rest of the season”.

On Thursday afternoon the Lady Dragons will take on Norwell at the Percy Walker Pool at 3:30 p.m.