BRANFORD, March 15 – Several Avon High swimmers qualified for Tuesday’s Class M championship meet at Wesleyan University in Middletown by swimming well at the Class M trials in Branford on Saturday.
Sophomore Riley Strassner qualified in two individual events and two relays. He will be trying to become the first Avon swimmer to win a state championship. Diver Jon Feldman won the Class S title in 2007. Chris Xistris was second in the 200 individual medley and 500 yard freestyle nearly 20 years ago in 1995.
Strassner is the second seed in the 200 yard freestyle with a season-best time of 1:45.67, less than 0.14 of a second behind Brookfield’s Dan Krentsa. Strassner is also the sixth seed in the 100 freestyle (49.31).
Strassner also swam on the 200 individual medley relay, which was qualified as the No. 5 seed and the 400 freestyle relay, which qualified as the No. 10 seed.
Freshman Kyle Emery, senior Bill Holloman, senior Devon Chambers and Strassner swam a season-best 1:42.95 in the 200 IM relay, nearly six seconds better than Avon’s previous best time this season. In the 400 freestyle relay, Emery, senior Erin Hartigan, freshman Matt Bagley and Strassner swam a time of 3:31.74, earning them a spot in the B final.
Emery is the No. 3 seed in the 100 backstroke after his qualifying time of 55.60 seconds. Holloman is the No. 7 seed in the 100 breast stroke with a qualifying time of 1:03.33.
Also qualifying was Emery in the 100 freestyle (15th), Stephen Pang in the 200 IM (17th) and 100 back (17th), Erin Hartigan in the 200 IM (22nd) and 500 freestyle (21st) and Katie Emery in the 100 backstroke (23rd).
Avon’s best finish was third place in Class S in 2007. Their best finish in Class M was 11th in 2011 with 215 points.
Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.


High School
2025 NCCC Winter Tournaments

High School
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