Lapping the competition: The 2023-24 Taunton Daily Gazette Swimming All-Scholastics

Another high school swim season has come and gone in the Greater Taunton area.

On the boys side, Bridgewater-Raynham (3-1, 2-1 Southeast Conference) led the way locally, finishing runner up in the SEC while Taunton (0-7, 0-5 Hockomock League) had some solid performances.

On the girls side, Taunton (5-2, 3-2 Hockomock) put up a strong league campaign and finished sixth at the Hockomock Championship while Bridgewater-Raynham (4-1, 2-1 SEC) finished runners up in the SEC and 36th at the MIAA South Sectionals.

With the winter season now in the rearview, here's a final look back at the Greater Taunton area swimmers who stood out among the crowd to earn their spot as 2023-24 Taunton Daily Gazette Swimming All-Scholastics.

Boys Swimmer of the Year

Cole Bridges, Bridgewater-Raynham

The junior had a phenomenal season in the pool for the Trojans, going undefeated in individual events. His best times for the season include 0:24.65 in the 50 yard freestyle and 0.54.01 in the 100 yard freestyle, with both times being among the top 10 in program history. First year coach Shannon George praised him as a role model both in and out of the pool.

An SEC All-Star, Bridges is also a member of the soccer and track teams as well as a top student, receiving the Rensselaer Medal from the Rensselaer Institute of Technology in Troy, N.Y. Expect him to only continue to grow and improve as an athlete heading into his senior year.

Raising the bar: Presenting the 2023-24 Taunton Daily Gazette Gymnastics All-Scholastics

Girls Swimmer of the Year

Abby Fernandes, Taunton

The junior captain may've only been a two-year member of the program, but she led the way for the Tigers all winter. She finished sixth at the Hockomock Championship in both the 50 yard freestyle (0:27.99) and 100 yard freestyle (1:00.59) and was part in the 200 yard freestyle relay team that finished fifth with a time of 1:56.24. She scored meet wins in all three events, as well as the 100 yard butterfly.

A Hockomock All-Star, expect Fernandes to only continue to grow and improve as a swimmer heading into next year.

First Team All-Scholastics

Blake Couto, Taunton

Eva Chaves, Bridgewater-Raynham

Mila Dafov, Taunton

Eliana Gay, Taunton

Cooper Hammond, Bridgewater-Raynham

Harrison Layden, Taunton

Andy Martin, Bridgewater-Raynham

Megan Viveiros, Taunton

Taunton Daily Gazette sports reporter Cameron Merritt can be reached at cmerritt@tauntongazette.com. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @CamMerritt_News. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to the Taunton Daily Gazette today.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Lapping the competition: The 2023-24 Taunton Daily Gazette Swimming All-Scholastics