ECICs - Girls Swimming
North's depth wins 'AA', Flames place second
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Williamsville North's 60-member roster paid huge dividends at last week's ECIC Championships at Sweet Home High School.

North won Division AA with 347.5 points, 45.5 more points than second place Williamsville East. The Lady Spartans only won one event (1-meter diving) and took only one second place (200 free relay) but was top in Class A because several swimmers placed in the top 16 and scored points.

"Our depth has been our strength all year," said North coach Doug Cassidy. "We only took one second place. Everything else was third place or below but we had kids who scored in every event which really helped."

Here are several examples:

In the 200 IM, Kelly Battaglia took third (personal best 2:18.45), Abigail MacDonald was fifth (personal best 2:21.11) and Clare Battaglia was 12th (2:26.40).

In the 100 butterfly, Battaglia was fifth (1:04.32), Erin Cavagnaro was eighth (1:06.62) and Kerri Bubar was 15th (1:10.70).

In the 100 free, Cammy Farkas was third (personal best 57.82). Talty was 10th (59.64) and Abby Zwierchowski came in 11th (1:00.41).

In the 50 free, Talty and Zwierchowski came in seventh (26.71) and tied for 12th (27.40), respectively.

In the 500 free, Becky Akers was fourth (personal best 534.47), Clare Battgalia was ninth (6:00) and Nicole Malkowski came in 13th (6:09.08).

In the 100 back, MacDonald was third (1:04.15) and Maggie Schmidt was sixth (1:07.23).

In the 200 free, Farkas placed sixth (2:06.99) and Schmidt was eighth (2:08.13).

In the 100 breast, Akers was eighth (1:17.15), marking the first time a North swimmer had placed in the top eight in five years. Cavagnaro was ninth (1:17.27).

North went into Friday's swimming finals with 44 diving points from Casey Matthews (first, 497.60), Krissy Flierl (sixth, 258.25) and Dana Gradl (eighth, 245.70).

All of North's relays had season-best times. The 200 free relay of Battaglia, Schmidt, Zwierchowski and Farkas came in second in 1:45.49. The 200 medley relay of MacDonald, Cavagnaro, Sarah Bachwitz, and Britney Talty were fourth in 2:01.94. The 400 free relay of Battaglia, Farkas, MacDonald, and Schmidt was third in 1:56.90.

"Despite being so big, our team is very close," said Cassidy. "I've had teams in the past where we've gotten all of the ribbons but this year has been probably the most satisfying championship I've ever had. It's a whole lot of fun."

Williamsville East Several records fell for the Lady Flames.

Division AA MVP Jennifer Anthone set a new school record in the 200 free (158.80) and Janelle Munroe broke her own records in the 100 fly (59.44) and 100 back (101.42). Anthone and Munroe also teamed up with Bailey Woodling and Tori Mayer in the 400 free relay to set a school and Sweet Home pool record of 3:42.65. All were first place finishes. Anthone won the 100 free in 54.43.

Mayer was third in the 500 free (personal best 534.25) and fourth in the 200 free (205.25). Kelsey Bradbury came in fifth in the 500 free (539.75) and sixth in the 200 IM (222.76). Kelsey Crawford was seventh in the 100 back (107.83). Kristen Ostanski was 10th in the 100 breast (personal best 117.50).

East's 200 medley relay of Crawford, Ostanski, Munroe and Woodling was second (157.77). The 200 free relay of Bradbury, Ostanski, Mayer and Anthone came in fourth (147.04).

Eighth grader diver Taylor Castle finished seventh (248.40).

"We swam very well and were very proud of them," said East coach Mike Doerfler. "North swam very well. We just didn't have enough to beat them."

East won its fifth straight ECIC II title, albeit abbreviated, with a 6-0 record.

Sweet Home

Bethany Fried and Paige Gutowski helped lead host team Sweet Home to a fifth-place finish in Division AA.

Fried won the 500 free (5:18.28) and was second in the 200 free (2:00.87). Gutowski took first in the 200 IM (2:12.13) and second in the 100 breast (1:08.51). Fried and Gutowski helped the team's 400 free relay to a second place finish (3:49.17) and 200 free relay to a third place finish (1:45.83).

Kaitlin Mergler and Sarah Mazuchowski also comprised the 400 free relay; Mergler and Caitlin Schwinge were on the 200 free relay team.

Mergler took fourth in the 100 free (58.22) and seventh in the 200 free (2:07.54). Mazuchowski (5:54.97, seventh) and Schwinge (6:03.19, tenth) placed in the 500 free. Mazuchowski was ninth in the 200 free (2:10.52); Schwinge came in 12th (2:13.14).

Sweet Home finished fifth overall with 179 points.

Williamsville South

Stephanie Amadeo's fourth place in diving (275.35) highlighted the Lady Billies' performance.

South finished ninth in Division AA with 116 points.

Jennifer Rogers was eighth in the 200 IM (2:28.78).

Alaina Laszweski came in ninth in the 100 back (1:09.41) and 10th in the 100 fly (1:07.41).

The Section VI Championships will be held Thursday through Saturday at Erie Community College's Burt Flickinger Center.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com