ORONO — Through eight events in the Class A girls’ state swimming and diving championships Monday, Scarborough was tied with Cony after coming from behind.

“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 in the arm.

Low gave Cony the lead in her leg and the Rams won the relay – the best race of the day. They then stayed atop the team standings and captured their second straight state title in the meet at the University of Maine.

Cony won five individual events and two relays to total 280 points. Scarborough, with 259 points, was the runner-up for the second time in three years.

Falmouth finished in third (226.5), followed by Kennebunk (218), Bangor (214) and Cheverus (163).

Low, after helping the 200 free relay team, jumped in the pool for the next event, winning the 100 backstroke in a state-meet record time of 56.28 seconds.

“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 Caroline Arpin of Cheverus (2:16.35). Griffin was also second in the 50 freestyle (26.03) and anchored the winning 400 freestyle relay (3:44.35). Her times in the IM and 50 free were 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 breast stroke 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 Sophia Ham of Falmouth (360.6) and Taylor Nguyen of Falmouth (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 and 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 then 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 breast stroke). 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 second (100 backstroke) and 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).

This story was updated at 4:07 p.m. on 2/20 to correct a reference to Scarborough school records that were broken and to add a second-place finish in the backstroke for Scarborough’s Charlotte Pratt.

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