Champions in Every Lane

After more than 30 dual swimming meets over the past four years, seniors Isabel Avelino, Mena Boardman, Ellie Colman, Shawna Jiang, Ellen Jin, Raylea Richmond and Gene Sunthornrangsri will graduate this spring with a particular distinction: They never lost a meet. That is a rare accomplishment, as were their four straight New England Division I titles and four top-five finishes at the Eastern Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championships. The class of 2026 swimmers hold a special place in program history.

“This group helped push a positive, competitive environment,” head coach Don Mills says. “They connected with members of the team in different ways, played different roles within the team — their leadership culture was one of support and dedication.”

At the center of their success was Boardman, one of the most accomplished swimmers in Academy history. She earned three Eastern Swimmer of the Meet awards and two New England Swimmer of the Meet awards while setting numerous school, meet and regional records.

“We’ve been fortunate to have a core group of girls who have been part of this incredible run,” Mills says. “It starts with Mena and her tremendous talent and commitment. Each year she gets faster and continues to break records. She has been supported by her co-captain, Gene Sunthornrangsri, who came in as a new lower. Gene has an enduring spirit and personality, and serves as our distance specialist, which complements Mena’s strengths.”

The class of 2026 set the tone for the program. Their energy in practice elevated expectations, and their enthusiasm created an environment where every best time, breakthrough swim and hard-fought finish was celebrated. “Ellen came into her own this year as a specialist in the individual medley and breaststroke,” Mills says. “She was on the medley relay team which broke a New England record and was part of the 4×100 winning relay team at New Englands. Shawna took on a new event this year with the backstroke, and she helped score points in the event at New Englands. Every member of this class was selfless, supportive and helped raise the bar of our program.”

While their performance in the pool was outstanding, the team’s culture proved most winning. “I think our success comes from the strong and supportive team community we have,” Jin says. “The girls are always encouraging and uplifting one another, and we all have the energy to do it for the team.