East clinches sixth straight ECIC II title
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

For the sixth consecutive year, Williamsville East is the queen of the ECIC Division II girls swimming world.

The Lady Flames concluded a 10-0 regular season and 9-0 mark in ECIC II with wins last Wednesday through Friday over Starpoint, 120-65; Williamsville South, 108-61; and Pioneer, 75-27.

"We didn't have as much depth on the roster, but we were still able to come out of ECIC II as division champs," said East coach Mike Doerfler.

Against Starpoint, sophomore Bailey Woodling won the 200-yard individual medley in a school record 2:17.13. Senior Janelle Munroe won the 100 butterfly in a New York State qualifying time of 59.80. Senior Tori Mayer and junior Britney O'Dea were double winners. Mayer won the 200 and 500 free; O'Dea was the tops in the 50 and 100 free. Junior Kristen Ostanski won the 100 breast in 1:15.71.

O'Dea was a double winner against South, winning the 50 free in 26.28 and the 500 free in 5:44.29. Mayer won the 100 fly in 1:04.48

Freshman Sara Rogers was a double winner in the 200 IM (2:31.09) and 500 free (6:07.59) versus Pioneer. Junior Emilie Schachtner (200 free, 2:16.61) freshman Taylor Castle (1-meter diving, 173.45) and Munroe (100 back, 1:02.92) also won.

The 200 medley relay of Woodling, Ostanski, Munroe and Mayer took first in 1:57.40 as did the 200 free of Munrow, Woodling, O'Dea and Mayer in 1:45.16, who picked up firsts against Pioneer.

East has qualified all 19 varsity swimmers for ECICs this weekend at Sweet Home High School.

Williamsville North

It's been a while since North has won back-to-back ECIC Division I titles but that all changed in 2007.

The Spartans closed out the regular season with back-to-back division crowns for the first time since accomplishing the feat in 1994-95. North won the league title from 1990 to 1995 and in 1997 and 2000.

Senior Casey Matthews continues to dominate 1-meter diving. The defending New York State champion broke pool records at Hamburg (305.40) and Frontier (306).

The Hamburg pool record was 272 set in 1984; the Frontier record had been 270 since Lynn Lusczak set it in the early 1980s. North coach Doug Cassidy said Lusczak was at the Frontier meet and congratulated Matthews after the meet.

Matthews isn't the only North member having a great season. Others posting good times are freshman Kirstan Berg and eighth grader Clare Battaglia as well as sophomores Cami Farkas, Maggie Schmidt and Abigail Zwierchowski; junior Abigail MacDonald; and senior Erin Cavagnaro.

Berg has cut four seconds off her 100 free time from 1:04 to 1:00; Battaglia is swimming 1:00 in the 200 IM.

Farkas is ranked in the top 10 in at least five different events - 50, 100, 200 and 500 free and 100 fly.

Also scoring points have been juniors Katie Kreidler (500, 200 IM) and Kearsten Renzi (200 IM, 100 free).

The 400 free relay of Farkas, Schmidt, MacDonald and either Zwierzchowski, Battaglia, Berg or Britney Talty is seeded first for ECICs this weekend. The 200 free relay is third.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com