Achievements In Athletics & Academics: Chester, Vermont's Tessa Farrar

Chester, Vermont's Tessa FarrarPublished in The Message For The Week
In an effort to reward and promote the importance of academics in the lives of our local middle, high school and college student athletes past and present, The Message Sports Department will be running a series of articles about local students who not only excel on the playing field, but also in the classroom. If you know a local student past or present who deserves recognition, please contact Message Sports Editor Joe Milliken at jmilliken@tsvmedia.net
------------------------------------------------------------
Chester's own Tessa Farrar, a former Green Mountain Union High School graduate and currently a student–athlete at SUNY Delhi College in Delhi, NY, recently captured Female Athlete of the Week honors after breaking three school swimming and records at the SUNY Delhi Fall Distance Invitational swim meet. Farrar also plays soccer for SUNY Delhi in the fall.
Farrar, a former 2008 graduate of Green Mountain Union High School in Chester, played soccer for the Chieftains and also swam for the Springfield Stingrays, and is currently a freshman studying Liberal Arts at SUNY Delhi.
“Tessa can swim just about any event and come close to breaking most of Delhi College's women's’ swimming records, as well as qualify for Junior College Nationals in probably, any swimming event she aspires,” SUNY Delhi head swimming coach John Kolodzje stated in a recent interview. “Tessa is our top and most valuable female swimmer and she gets along with everyone. She is also a great soccer player. Tessa is capable of achieving anything she puts her mind to.”
Farrar recently set school records in the 50–yard freestyle, the 200–yard butterfly and the 100–yard butterfly. In fact, Tessa's first 100 yards of the butterfly also set a record with an electronic Colorado timing system.
“I am very surprised at where I stand in the national rankings which includes 28 schools, Farrar said in an exclusive interview with The Message. “I've placed in the top 15 in all of my events. and my coach has said that if I keep swimming there's a great possibility of me getting a swimming scholarship and recruited to another school- possibly a division 2 school.”
Farrar was also a part of a third place finish in the 400–yard medley relay team and another third place finish in the 800–yard free medley.
“Tessa works very hard to achieve greatness in and out of the swimming pool, and will succeed. She makes herself stronger on all levels, and she has also improved her grades as the semester progressed. Tessa is a very hard worker. The Broncos women's' swim team also finished second overall in the nine team meet that included both junior and four year colleges."
Farrar also recently placed first in two events at Herkimer CCC Distance Invitational, finishing first in both the 200–yard backstroke and the 50-yard freestyle events.
The 40-yard medley team also finished third, with the Broncos once again finishing in second place overall.
Locally, Farrar also helps coach the Springfield Stingrays swim team. “I am not helping out during the winter because of school, but I do hope to coach again during the summer. I talked to Coach Whalen and there are a lot of new faces on the team who I am eager to meet and work with in the summer.”