Jen Rodgers and Kate Curtin built up the Norwood swim program to where it is today, and when the duo decided to step down earlier this year, Athletic Director Jon Longley didn’t have to look far for their replacements. Paul Ferraro and Bella Inzodda, both assistants under Rodgers and Curtin, were appointed the new coaches. 

Inzodda swam for the Mustangs for four seasons and was a captain her senior year, and although she could do a little of everything, she excelled in the 200 Freestyle and 100 Backstroke. 

“Last year, Rodgers and Curtin were looking for help with the team and they reached out to me,” Inzodda said. “I had been missing being on the pool deck, so it was a no brainer for me.”

This year, Norwood will be welcoming Medfield to the program as the two form a co-op team in the Tri-Valley League. Having the Warrior swimmers join the team has helped to increase the Mustangs numbers in the pool. Through the early part of the season, the two teams have really been working well together and Inzodda likes the fact that Norwood has picked up some experienced swimmers with the merger. 

“Everyone has been getting along and coming together as a team,” the coach said. “The highlight thus far has been the team bonding; our number one goal is to support one another. The size growth with Medfield is definitely going to help the team; we only had two boys on the team last year and now we have eight.”

Smantha Lee is going to be one of the Mustangs top qualifiers this winter. Lee can be put into any event and have success where she will qualify for the State Tournament, but she is best in the 200 Freestyle and 200 IM. As only a freshman, she is already showing that she is going to have a bright future swimming for Norwood. 

Captains Era Begg, a senior who is an all-around swimmer, and juniors Sydney Cochrane and Maddie Sople, will be looked upon to help the two new coaches throughout the season. Although an all-around swimmer, Begg is best suited for the 100 Fly and 100 Breaststroke, while the juniors are both great 500 swimmers that should be able to finish first and second on numerous occasions this year. The duo has already completed the 1-2 task against Hopkinton and Sople dropped her personal best time by 10 seconds.

“We are going to be able to rely on both swimmers this year,” Inzodda said. “Other girls on the team feel encouraged by them.”

Inzodda noted that Norwood was lucky in the fact that they knew Medfield and its swimmers before joining forces by either seeing them in the TVL or on club teams. 

“We are going to try to mix everyone together so that they all feel they are part of the team and at this point I believe we are on track,” Inzodda said. 

Two of the four Medfield captains will be Jordan Ioving, a top-notch Warrior swimmer who is remarkably similar to Lee that she’ll qualify for just about every event that she takes part in. For the boys, it will be Chase Patten, another athlete who will see himself qualifying for more than one event.

“I look to Chase embracing that overall captain role where he is encouraging others all the time,” Inzodda said. “He is a great sprinter who has posted a lot of great times so far. He rocks the 100 Free and 100 Back and can also do very well in both the 200 Free and 200 IM.”

In addition to Patten, the team will also be looking for Norwood swimmers Caleb Kwon and Kamil Encarnation to help push the team into the win column. Kwon, a junior, has continued his dominance in the pool and is showing he intends to qualify for the post-season. Inzodda feels that he has gotten better having more boys swimming next to him; it has also allowed him to take part on a relay team, something that he was not able to do last year having only one other boy on the team.

Encarnation has blown the coaches away thus far as a sprinter and also in the relays.

“Kamil is amazing,” Inzodda said. “When he’s needed to pick up the pace and leave his opponents behind him, he has the ability to pull away and grab the win. He is also energetic with the other kids.”

Having Medfield join up with Norwood in the pool, the new coach is looking for the team to rack up as many wins as they can this inaugural season of the co-op. 

“It will be a huge improvement to get those wins,” Inzodda said. “But I am also looking to get as many individual swimmers into the post-season as possible. In the past we’ve only been able to send a small amount due to our size.”

So far, the coach has been encouraged by the way all the swimmers have not only been improving, but doing so in high fashion. Individually, she wants them all to meet their personal goals as well as qualifying for the tournament, and if she needs to give them a nudge to get there she will do so.