ORONO — Greely High senior Sarah Easterling ended her high school swimming career in the victorious style she began it, carrying away hardware from the Class B girls’ swimming and diving championship Tuesday night at the University of Maine.
Easterling, voted the performer of the meet, paced her Rangers to the second-place trophy, finishing behind Mt. Desert Island, 295.5 points to 280.
The lead changed hands five times over the last six events, but the Trojans, with 15 entrants in the championship finals, were too strong.
“Well-rounded teams do well,” MDI Coach Tony DeMuro said. “Just look at Greely (boys) on Monday.”
Greely beat second-place MDI in the boys’ state meet Monday.
Rangers Coach Rob Hale had no complaints.
“We swam as well as the boys did Monday,” Hale said. “We just couldn’t match (MDI). They had more bodies in better places.”
Camden Hills finished third (234.5) and Waynflete (223) was fourth on the strength of Colby Harvey and two record-setting relay teams.
Easterling also set meet and state records. She captured both the 200-yard individual medley (2:04.85) and the 100 backstroke (56.51), each for the fourth straight year.
Her IM time broke her own meet record and was 0.22 off the state record set by Jenni Roberts of Sanford in 2010.
The backstroke time broke Roberts’ record of 56.90.
“I just went into it wanting a best time,” said Easterling, who is headed to the University of Arkansas on a scholarship in the fall
“I’m happy with it, but I’m really happy for the team. We swam well.”
Harvey, a junior, also won two events, taking the 200 freestyle in 1:55.49 (0.03 off the meet record) and the 100 butterfly in 56.22, a half-second away from her own state record.
“I was a little disappointed with my 100 fly but I cut eight seconds off my 200 free, and we got two meet records,” Harvey said. “Just a really good meet.”
The Flyers’ foursome of Amelia Deady, Walker Foehl, Harvey and Ellen Silk captured both the 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays in meet-record times (1:40.13 and 3:41.00).
MDI sophomore Leila Johnston doubled up, winning the 50 and 100 freestyle (24.54 and 53.78).
North Yarmouth Academy freshman Sonia Lin won the 100 breast stroke in a meet-record time of 1:06.73.
Other individual champions included Greely freshman Hwanhee Park in the 500 freestyle (5:18.66) and Falmouth freshman Charlotte Janelle in the diving (289.4 points).
Greely made an impressive opening statement, winning the initial event, the 200 medley relay. Katie Dransfield kept the Rangers within a second of MDI on the backstroke leg. Easterling took the lead on the breast stroke, and Park (butterfly) and Emily Domingo (freestyle) finished the race in 1:53.43 to MDI’s 1:54.23.
MDI took the lead after collecting 62 points in the seventh event, with four swimmers in the 100 freestyle final, paced by Johnston.
Park’s 500 freestyle gave the lead back to Greely (185-182.5), with the 200 freestyle relay next. MDI placed second and Greely fourth as the Trojans recaptured the lead (216.5-215).
Easterling was on the block next, and her blistering 100 backstroke win pulled Greely back in front (244-237.5).
But in the 100 breast stroke, MDI had two swimmers in the finals. Greely had only one consolation swimmer.
The Trojans picked up 28 points and were ahead to stay (265.5-246).
In the 400 freestyle relay, the Rangers finished second to Waynflete, but MDI touched in fourth, clinching the championship.
Anabel Carter led Camden Hills with a third in the 100 freestyle and anchored the third-place 200 freestyle relay team, which included Emma Gutheinz, Helen Carter and Eliza Carter.
Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be contacted at 791-6411 or at:
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