Molly Kennedy, Woodland’s fastest sprint-swimmer, has just accomplished her four-year-long goal of breaking the 50 freestyle record.
The previous record of 25.00 seconds was set in 2017, and held by Dia Gawronski. The new record now stands at 24.56 seconds and was set at the State Trials meet on November 12, 2022. In fact, Kennedy broke Gawronski’s record twice in a single meet, the first time being in the 200 Medley relay, getting a 24.37. In order to get her name up on the record board, however, Kennedy would have to break 25 seconds again in the actual event.
“Considering my relays are never that much faster than individuals, I was getting pretty excited for [the 50 free],” explained Kennedy.
Her plan going into the event was to pace herself with the person next to her, who was seeded with a time of 24.80 seconds. In order to do this, she looked for splashing in the lane next to her. Thinking her opponent’s feet were at her eye-level, Kennedy sprinted even faster in the water. It wasn’t until she finished the race when she realized she was not a body’s length behind, but an arms-length ahead.
“I just scared myself into going faster,” Kennedy stated.
Waiting for her at the end of the lane was her sister, Sarah, who was timing her that night, and Zoë Bronn, Kennedy’s friend who helped read the times off the board and yell them to her.
As she looked down the lane, she saw her teammates and coaches cheering with pride and she accomplished her four-year-long goal.
“I went out and hugged all the coaches,” Kennedy said. “As I was walking back half the team was just giving me a hug.”
Not only were her teammates and coaches proud of her, but so were both of her parents who were in attendance to watch Kennedy break the record. While proud, Kennedy’s dad was also mourning the $500 he owed her, as a result of the bet they made her freshman year about beating the 50 freestyle record.
“I would have forgotten about it,” Kennedy said. “He’s the one who texted me during the meet after the medley [relay].”
Kennedy’s mom was there supporting her daughter, recording the race that beat the record, and being the one who cheered the loudest when the time was displayed on the board.
As Kennedy looks to the future, she is excited to continue her swimming career in college. The coach from Southern Connecticut State University, CJ Moran, has been staying in contact with Kennedy regarding her times. He took a look at Kennedy’s times from the State Trials meet where she broke the record, and attended the State Finals meet which actually took place at the university.
While Kennedy’s high school career is at an end, her success has set her up for a bright future in swimming. She looks ahead to set new goals (and maybe bets) for her next chapter in swimming.
