RYE, N.Y. Jazmine Smith was looking forward to the girls 12-and-under 50-yard butterfly Tuesday at the 87th annual Westchester Counties Swimming and Diving Championships.
The butterfly is a hard stroke to learn, but it is rhythmic and a lot of fun, said Smith, 11, a seventh-grader-to-be at Horace Mann in Riverdale. It is always fun when you win with a stroke that you really love.
Smith, of the Greenburgh Swim Team, displayed her love for the stroke by winning the 50-fly, in a time of 28.44 seconds, for the second consecutive year at the pool at Playland Amusement Park in Rye.
Going into the preliminary heats, Smith was hoping to win it for a second consecutive year. She earned the No. 1 seed with the top preliminary time of 28.57 seconds.
I felt good and ready to swim as soon as I dove in, Smith said. In the first half of the race I was trying not to breath so much. Then, in the second half of the race, I picked it up and gave it everything I had left.
Smith was challenged by Lake Isle's Georgia Lazaroni, who finished second, and Allison Lemischack of Hastings Town Pool. However, Smith was not even aware of her opponents.
I couldnt see anybody because I was focused on the wall, Smith said.
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