BATH — The Cony girls swim team gave three-time defending champ Brunswick all it could handle in the Bath Area Family YMCA pool Saturday at the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A championships, turning in one impressive performance after another.
But the Rams, who without a diving team trailed the Dragons by 25 points before the teams rolled off their buses Saturday morning, ran out of time and events.
Led by Caitlin Tycz — who set meet records in the 100-yard backstroke and 200 freestyle — and two dominant relay teams, Brunswick won its fourth consecutive conference crown with 327 points.
Cony, which received a terrific day from its record-setting 200-yard medley relay team and Talia Jorgensen — who won the 200 individual medley and 100 freestyle — finished second with 282 points. Messalonskee was third with 182 points.
The Brunswick girls 200 and 400 free relay teams also set KVAC records with times of 1:42.96 and 3:39.91, respectively.
“I thought we had a shot at them,” Cony swim coach Jon Millett said. “Take away the diving and we were right there.”
The Brunswick boys easily won their fifth straight KVAC A title, finishing with 328 points.
Nate Samson set a Class A state record in the 100 backstroke with a time of 49.91 to lead the Dragons. He also won the 200 IM and helped the 400 free relay team to victory.
Messalonskee was second with 220.5 points while Cony (196) followed in third. Cony senior Noah Aube won the 100 and 200 freestyle races.
“It was a good day,” Aube said. “I didn’t drop any times but I felt I swam well.”
Jorgensen won the 200 IM in 2:15.09, nearly five seconds faster than runner-up Kenzie Burton of Messalonskee.
“I started off a little iffy,” Jorgensen said, “but I worked hard to make it up with the three other strokes.”
Jorgensen later won the 100 free in 55.04.
“I went out strong and gave it all I had,” she said. “It was a good race.”
Jorgensen, Anne Guadalupi, Molly Silsby and Gabby Low got the Rams off to a quick start Saturday when they won the 200 medley relay in 1:50.47, which set a KVAC record.
“We knew were going to be fast but we didn’t know how fast,” said Guadalupi, who was also second in the 200 free (2:03.91). “All four of us will remember this. We want to try to go for the state record next week.”
The University of Maine at Orono will host the Class A girls state championships Feb. 13.
Low also won the 100 butterfly (58.45).
“We had a lot of good performances,” Millett said. “We broke a lot of team records, too. It was a pretty good day.”
Nathaniel Berry, Aube, Dale Lapierre and Logan Testerman led the Cony boys 200 free relay team to victory in 1:34.41, just edging out Brunswick (1:34.45).
Also Saturday, Messalonskee’s Ben Thibert won the 50 free in 22.68. He just edged out Berry (23.53) and Brunswick’s Matt Yost (23.89).
“I got real excited before the race,” Thibert said. “I wanted to push myself to see how fast I could go. It was pretty close. It’s such a crazy race because any little thing can affect it.”
Burton, of Messalonskee, was second in the 200 IM (2:20.39) and third in the 100 fly (1:01.75).
Alex Bevier, of Lawrence, was second in both the 100 free (50.97) and 200 free (1:51.50).
Bill Stewart — 621-5618
bstewart@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @billstewartMTM
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