Andrew Casares, Edward Little senior: A three-year team captain, Casares won the Class A 200-yard individual medley (2:01.51) and 100 butterfly (53.63). He’s a two-time KVAC Swimmer of the Year who set school records in four individual and three relay events. He plans to continue swimming at The College of New Jersey.
Matt Desmond, Greely senior: Desmond was Class B runner-up in both the 100 and 200 freestyle. His time in the 100 free (48.78) was third-best in the state this year, as was his top time in the 200 free (1:46.30). The latter broke a school record set in 1982. He plans to enroll at the University of Maine.
Brigham Graf, Belfast senior: Graf won the Class B 50 freestyle in 22.26 and placed third in the 100 free (48.80). He also dives, and his score (178.70 points) for a six-dive dual meet in late January was second-highest in the state this winter. Graf plans to study engineering at Maine Maritime.
Andrew Leighton, Morse senior: Leighton won the Class B 100 backstroke (54.34) and was runner-up in the 100 butterfly (52.46). His butterfly time ranked 20th on Maine’s all-time list. At the KVAC championship, he was voted Swimmer of the Meet. He plans to continue swimming at Marymount University in Virginia.
Cormac McKenney, Cape Elizabeth junior: McKenney won the Class B 100 butterfly (52.16) and 100 breaststroke (59.77). He moved into the state’s all-time top 20 for the butterfly (15th), breaststroke (17th, at 59.58) and as part of a 200 medley relay (seventh, at 1:38.87) and 400 free relay (19th, at 3:19.45).
Keegan Rowe, Mt. Ararat junior: Rowe won the Class A 50 freestyle in 22.44 seconds and placed fourth in the 100 butterfly (55.82). His clocking of 21.96 in the KVAC championship 50 free was second-fastest in the state this winter. He set school records in both events and swam backstroke on another in the 200 medley relay.
Ethan Schulz, Scarborough senior: Schulz won the Class A 100 free (for the second time) and 200 free (for the third time) to help Scarborough successfully defend its state title. His time of 1:41.90 in the 200 free was fifth-best in state history. His time of 46.74 in the 100 free was fastest in the state this winter, a feat he accomplished in four events.
David Steinbrick, Cape Elizabeth junior: Steinbrick won the Class B 100 and 200 free in times (48.24 and 1:44.53) second only to those of Scarborough’s Ethan Schulz. His best 200 free time (1:42.99) was eighth in state history and his best 500 free (4:39.15) was fifth all-time. He also anchored two top-20 relays – the 200 medley and 400 free.
Asher Ward, Kennebunk junior: For the second year in a row, Ward won the Class A diving title. His 11-dive score of 325.40 points was slightly less than he scored (in another successful title defense) at Southwesterns (332.15). He also posted the state’s highest total for a six-dive meet (211.55).
Evan Wardrop, Scarborough senior: Wardrop won the Class A 100 backstroke in 52.94 seconds, a hundredth of a second off his time at Southwesterns. That 52.93 is 12th on Maine’s all-time list. He also placed second in the Class A 100 butterfly (54.48). He plans to continue swimming at Ithaca College.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Morgan Royle, Scarborough: A 2001 Scarborough graduate, Royle took over the program when Eric French retired from coaching. She had been an assistant with French for five years, until 2017, then returned as middle school coach a year ago. Despite significant losses to graduation, Scarborough proved dominant in Class A, sweeping all three relays and leaving a field of 18 teams more than 130 points behind. She said returning swimmers initially may have been apprehensive about the coaching change, but “they swam their hearts out for me. They gave me everything I asked.”
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