The Boys & Girls Club to Send a Group of Swimmers to the National Championships

Special to the Patriot-Bridge

Congratulations to the swimmers and coaches of the Charlestown Boys & Girls Club Swim Team. The club has been invited to compete in the Speedo Boys & Girls Club National Swimming Championships. Charlestown will merge with The Boys & Girls Clubs of Blue Hill, South Boston, Woburn, and Nashua NH to represent Team New England in April. The annual meet will be hosted in St. Petersburg, FL.

The following team members have been selected to swim in Florida.

2011 Nationals Team. Front row: Lauren Connors. Back row from left: Colby Cahill, Carly Cahill, Matteo Grando, Meaghan Doherty, Teaghan McLaughlin and Jonathan Smith.

Meaghan Doherty is a 16-year-old sophomore and honor student at Matignon High School. She is also a member of the Matignon Swim Team. Meaghan has been swimming with the Boys & GirlsClub since she was 6 and is currently an after-school employee.

Colby Cahill, a 14-year-old freshman at Boston Latin Academy, has been swimming for the BLA Team for three years. She also competed in the last two MIAA State Championships. Colby was 8 when she stared swimming with the Boys & Girls Club.

Matteo Grando is 14 and was born in Arsie, Belluno, Italy. He is an eighth grade student at Boston Latin Academy who also swims for the BLA Team. Matteo is a previous MVP award winner who has been swimming with the Boys & Girls Club for seven years.

Jonathan Smith is 14 and a student of the Warren-Prescott. He has been swimming with the Boys & Girls Club Team for three years. Jonathan was the recipient of the MVP award for the 2009/2010 season.

Teaghan McLaughlin is a 13-year-old seventh grader at Boston Latin Academy. She is a first year swimmer with the BLA Team. Teaghan has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club Team since the age of 6.

Carly Cahill is 12 and a seventh grader at the Elliot school. She has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club Swim Team since she was 6 years old.

Lauren Connors is a 7-year-old second grader at the Warren-Prescott.  She is a first year swimmer with the Boys & Girls Club Team. Lauren is also the youngest member attending the Nationals from Charlestown.

Head coach Marci Ferry, BGCB Aquatics Director, and assistant coaches Stephanie Ward-McIsaac, and Jesse MacDonald are very committed to the kids. The coaches are past members of the swim team who have returned to give back to Charlestown. We are very grateful to them for lending their expertise and experience to teach and guide our youth.

It has been well over forty years since the team has been invited to the Nationals. In the early 60’s The Boys Club went to Lake Placid, NY. The Boys and Girls Club is very excited to be welcomed once again. This is an honor for the team as well as the Charlestown Community.

Thank you Greg Jackson, Executive Director of The Charlestown Boys & Girls Club, for investing in our children and making this all possible.

Best of luck to the team, we are all very proud of you!

The club will be fundraising to help send the swimmers to the Nationals. There will be a F.I.T (Fitness Inspired Training) class on Saturday Jan. 22, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., High Street entrance. The fee for the class is $20 and all proceeds directly benefit the Nationals Fund.

There will also be a Swim Team “Reunion” at the Warren Tavern on Saturday, Jan. 22 from 5-8 pm; any and all donations are welcome. Whether you were a team member when it was The Boys Club, The Boys & Girls Club or the Community Center, we invite you to an evening of reminiscing and fun.

For further information or questions please contact Marci Ferry at 617-516-5506 or [email protected].

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