By KEVIN THOMAS
Portland Press Herald
ORONO — After eight events in the Class A girls state swimming and diving championship Monday afternoon, Scarborough High rallied again to tie the Cony High Rams.
“The meet was really tight and we needed a shot in the arm,” said Cony coach Jon Millett, who moved stalwart swimmer Gabby Low from the 400-yard free relay to the third leg of the upcoming 200 free relay.
Nice shot.
Low gave Cony the lead in her leg and the Rams won the relay – the best race of the day – and Cony stayed atop the team standings. The Rams captured their second straight state title at the University of Maine’s Stanley M. Wallace Pool.
Cony won five individual events and two relays to total 280 points. Scarborough, with 259 points, took home the runners-up plaque for the second time in three years.
Falmouth finished third (226.5), followed by Kennebunk (218), Bangor (214) and Cheverus (163) among the top teams.
Low, after helping the 200 free relay team, jumped in the pool for the next event, winning the 100 backstroke in a state meet time of 56.28.
“I just felt really relaxed and smooth the whole race,” Low said.
Low, a junior, was named the meet’s Most Outstanding Performer. Along with her meet record, and her part in the 200 free relay, she won the 100 butterfly (55.38), and swam the butterfly leg in the winning 200 medley relay (1:53.38).
“She’s put in the hard work and she’s getting what she deserves,” Millett said.
Cony sophomore Cecilia Guadalupi also collected four golds with wins in the 50 freestyle (24.75) and 500 freestyle (5:12.43), and legs in the same winning relays.
Another Cony junior, Talia Jorgenson, won the 100 freestyle (54.89), ahead of Lewiston junior Brooke Cloutier (55.66).
Scarborough featured one individual champion, senior Hannah Griffin in the 200 individual medley (2:11.58), ahead of Cheverus’ Caroline Arpin (2:16.35). Griffin was also second in the 50 freestyle (26.03), and anchored the winning 400 freestyle relay (3:44.35). All three timess were Scarborough school records.
“We swam really well,” Scarborough coach Eric French said. “We did what we could. We’re not upset at all.”
South Portland senior Molly Mawhinney won the 100 breaststroke in 1:09.18, with Lewiston’s Cloutier getting another second-place (1:09.31).
Messalonskee High senior Kenzie Burton won the 200 freestyle (1:58.53), leading from the start.
Bangor junior Ella Stone won the diving (415.45), followed by Falmouth’s Sophia Ham (360.6) and Falmouth’s Taylor Nguyen (318.60).
Relays, as always, played a big role. Both Cony and Scarborough had to figure where to put their best swimmers.
“We both knew we couldn’t stack all three,” French said.
Scarborough conceded the medley relay to Cony, while the Red Storm easily won the last race, the 400 free relay.
That put the spotlight on the 200 free relay.
“We knew if we were going to have a chance against them, we had to put together one of our best relays,” French said, teaming Griffin with Jane Greenberg, Charlotte Pratt and Morgan Porter.
Cony countered by adding Low to the team of Talia and Amanda Jorgensen, and Guadalupi.
The Rams led after the first leg, but trailed by 0.86 seconds after the next leg. Low dove in and gave Cony a 0.28-second lead.
“I knew we might be a little bit behind,” Low said. “All I thought about was swimming my race and that my team needed this.”
Guadalupi held off Griffin, as the Rams won by 0.34 seconds (1:40.61, to 1:40.95).
Victories helped Cony but so did the little depth it had, especially with Talia Jorgensen’s three sisters — Tessa (fifth, backstroke; 13th, 200 IM); Amanda (ninth, 50 free), and Tara (11th 100 breaststroke). Also, Haley Gagne placed ninth in the 200 free.
“Without that, we don’t win the meet,” Millett said.
For Scarborough, Porter scored a second and third (200 and 500 freestyle); Greenberg a third and fourth (50 and 100 freestyle); Emma MacDonald a third (200 IM) and sixth (500 freestyle) and Pratt a third (100 freestyle).
Falmouth was paced by Mae Causey (third in the 100 butterfly, fourth in the 50 freestyle), and Kennebunk was led by Isabel Harms’ second and fourth (500 and 200 freestyle).
Another laudable performance was turned in by Cheverus senior Sophia Kruse, who entered with the 41st fastest 100 free time (1:04.97), and then placed seventh (57.77).
Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-7411 or:
kthomas@pressherald.com
Twitter: @KevinThomasPPH
Send questions/comments to the editors.
