by John Osborn ·
Friday, February 20, 2026
Eliana Laham won the 200-yard freestyle, and Bowen Clarke placed third in two events to top Bromfield’s performance at the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 2 Swimming and Diving Championships on Feb. 14 at the Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center at MIT, Boston.
Laham, a senior, won the 200-yard freestyle in 1 minute, 53.66 seconds, pushing the pace from the start and pulling away from the field. She also placed second in the 100-yard butterfly in 59.34, losing by just 0.06 seconds. Both performances set school records. “Eliana swam her 200 perfectly. She pushed the pace from the start and no one was able to keep up with her,” said coach James Thomas.
Clarke placed third in both the 200-yard freestyle (1:46.46) and 500-yard freestyle (4:53.22), setting school records in both events. “Bowen had a solid meet. He swam a good 200 and an even better 500,” Thomas said.
The girls team finished 12th with 60 points among the 31 competing schools, up from 20th last year, while the boys placed 15th with 44 points among 41 schools, improving from 27th a year ago. Weston High School won the girls title with 262 points, while Wayland took the boys championship with 291 points.
Other members of the team had a good day as well. Charlotte Miling finished 12th in the 200-yard individual medley, dropping 2 seconds from her previous best, and placed 29th in the 100-yard breaststroke. Reety Sharma took 24th in the 100-yard breaststroke. Brianna LoPresti placed 13th in 1-meter diving with a score of 331.40.
The girls 400-yard freestyle relay team of Miling, Sarah Pudans, Sharma, and Laham finished 13th in 4:05.60. The 200-yard freestyle relay of Clair Battaglia, Maroon Kendrick, Uma Samsi, and Pudans placed 16th.
The boys 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relay teams both finished 14th. The 200 relay of Daniel Belin, Ari Samsi, Felix Chien, and Clarke clocked 1:38.04, while the 400 relay of Belin, Alden Battaglia, Chien, and Clarke posted 3:39.68. “We also got great swims from our sophomores Alden and Ari in the relays,” Thomas said.
The meet took place at one of the region’s premier facilities, with the 10-lane pool set up for 25 yards with only eight lanes used for competition, creating faster conditions with less wake. It was crowded and noisy, Thomas said, as you would expect at a state meet.
“We are a young team with a lot of room to grow,” Thomas wrote in an email, noting that only two of its athletes—Charlotte Miling and Uma Samsi—will graduate this year. “The next two years are going to show what this team and these kids are capable of.”
MIAA Division 2 Swimming and Diving Championship, Feb. 14
Girls
- 200-yard medley relay: Eliana Laham, Charlotte Miling, Reety Sharma, Sarah Pudans, 15th, 2:02.79
- 200-yard freestyle: Laham, first, 1:53.66
- 200-yard IM: Miling, 12th, 2:22.13
- 1-meter diving: Brianna LoPresti, 13th, 331.40
- 100-yard butterfly: Laham, second, 59.34
- 200-yard freestyle relay: Claire Battaglia, Maroon Kendrick, Uma Samsi, Pudans, 16th, 1:55.61
- 100-yard breaststroke: Sharma, 24th, 1:15.80; Miling, 29th, 1:16.37
- 400-yard freestyle relay: Miling, Pudans, Sharma, Laham, 13th, 4:05.60
Boys
- 200-yard freestyle: Bowen Clarke, third, 1:46.46
- 500-yard freestyle: Clarke, third, 4:53.22
- 200-yard freestyle relay: Daniel Belin, Ari Samsi, Felix Chien, Clarke, 14th, 1:38.04
- 400-yard freestyle relay: Belin, Alden Battaglia, Chien, Clarke, 14th, 3:39.68