Bromfield swimmers were voted winners of the Mid Wach League Team Sportsmanship Award for the outstanding actions of the team at the Quad meet on Jan. 29 of this year.
The team, and in particular three members of the team, were cited for their care of a swimmer on the Algonquin team who dislocated his shoulder during the butterfly race. Three Bromfield swimmers who are also EMTs stepped in to care for the Algonquin swimmer and stayed with him immediately after the injury. More importantly, they had the presence of mind to monitor him even when he seemed fine to everyone else on the deck. This was a good thing, because soon afterward he passed out and continued to struggle to remain conscious until an ambulance arrived much later. Other Bromfield swimmers stepped right in and offered to make phone calls, helped to move mats underneath the injured swimmer, and brought their dry towels and clothes to him for warmth.
In a surreal sequence of events, the Algonquin coach requested that the meet continue since an ambulance had been called and was on the way. The three Bromfield swimmers, juniors Kaya Phillips, Eric Hazoury and Sean LeRoy, alternated sitting with and caring for the injured swimmer, racing to the blocks to compete in their individual event or with their relay teams and then returning so that their teammates could do the same.
I know that all three of them would say that they were just doing what they were trained to do or what they are supposed to do, but all of the Bromfield swimmers and especially these three young adults were simply amazing that day. They have given their coaches, the school and the town of Harvard something to be very proud of.
Julie Nocka, Bromfield swim team coach
Shaker Road
