Hamden Artistic Swimming Team Goes to the Junior Olympics

Pool time supported by Community Foundation Small Grant.

July 06, 2022
Swimmer Laney Sherry in a "lift" during their competition routine named "Caravan". If you look closely, you can see how her teammates are supporting her under the water without touching the bottom of the pool. Contributed photo.

A local girls artistic swimming team competed in the national Junior Olympics last year with the help of a small grant from The Community Foundation.

The Hamden Heronettes are a small team that typically practices in the Hamden High School pool. When the school district closed the pool to outside groups in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Heronettes had to find a temporary new home.

Hamden Heronettes Age Group 13-15 Team on deck ready to perform their first swim at the USAAS USA Artistic Swimming Jr. Olympics in Colorado Springs, CO. After their swim, the Hamden Heronettes were ranked 18th in the USA. Contributed photo.

A small grant from The Community Foundation covered the cost of renting pool time at the Wallingford YMCA for the school year. Despite reduced practice time, the 13-15 age group qualified for the 2021 Junior Olympics in Colorado Springs. The team placed 18th in the country.

Formerly known as synchronized swimming, artistic swimming combines grace, stamina, strength and artistic performance. In addition to sending the 13-15 age group to the Junior Olympics, the team welcomed 20 new members. The rented pool space also gave seniors on the team the opportunity to participate during their last year of high school.

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