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Stamford Divers Help Whirlwind Win 4th Straight YMCA Title

NEW CANAAN, Conn. – New Canaan's Whirlwind Diving won its fourth straight YMCA Nationals Championship recently in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Whirlwind members accepting the banner are  (back, from left): Kyle O'Donnell , Kirsten Parkinson, Sean Burston, Allie Coleman, Joe Somma, Adam Genuario, Allie Courtney, Andrew Bologna, and (front) Kylie Towbin, Rachel Burston and Arianna Ross.

Whirlwind members accepting the banner are (back, from left): Kyle O'Donnell , Kirsten Parkinson, Sean Burston, Allie Coleman, Joe Somma, Adam Genuario, Allie Courtney, Andrew Bologna, and (front) Kylie Towbin, Rachel Burston and Arianna Ross.

Photo Credit: Contributed by Whirlwind Diving

Fifteen divers from the 22-member team, which is based out of the New Canaan YMCA, earned medals for Whirlwind, which is coached by Joe Somma. The meet featured 91 divers from five states. Whirlwind won the Junior 1 Region championships and also performed well at the Junior East Nationals.

Divers who won at least one medal for Whirlwind were Allie Courtney (Wilton), Andrew Bologna (Greenwich), Annabelle Pollack (Greenwich), Anne Farley (New Canaan), Cameron Rhind (New Canaan), Genevieve Angerame (Orange), Jake Bowtell (Darien), Kevin Bradley (Norwalk), Kirsten Parkinson (Stamford), Kylie Towbin (New Canaan), Owen Stevens (Darien), Rachel Burston (Stamford), Sean Burston (Stamford), Timmy Luz (Darien), and Tom Kalinowski (New Canaan).

Courtney, Rhind, Bowtell (silver and bronze), Bradley, Parkinson, , Rachel Burston (gold and silver) and Kalinowski were double-medalists. Bologna, Angerame (twobronze), Towbin (bronze), Stevens (three silver), Sean Burns (gold and two bronze) and Luz  (silver and bronze) each won three medals.

The Burston siblings, Sean and Rachel, each earned one of the coveted automatic berths to Junior Nationals this summer with their gold medal performances.

Other members of Whirlwind’s YMCA National Team who contributed to the team victory are Claire Ross (New Canaan), Sophia Rapp (Weston), Caleigh Kupersmith (Greenwich), Ariana Ross (New Canaan), Kyla Pech (Darien), Kyle O'Donnell (Darien), and Tanner Blank (Westport).

Topping off this great team performance was the celebration of Allie Coleman, Whirlwind’s Associate Diving Director. Coleman was honored with the prestigious Robert "Moose" Moss award given to the coach, athlete, or administrator who embodies the values of the YMCA, and best encourages the development and growth of the sport of diving.

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