Large roster numbers leads to repeat ECIC title for North swimming
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Like last year, Williamsville North's strength in numbers led them to the ECIC Division AA title.

North repeated as ECIC AA champions with a team score of 314 points at Saturday's final at Sweet Home High School.

North has 64 swimmers, more than any other team in ECIC.

"I see other teams with marquee swimmers take a bunch of first places, but nobody has the numbers like we do," said North coach Doug Cassidy.

Cassidy said his team had an 11-point lead over second-place Williamsville East after preliminaries and felt that if his swimmers could move up or hold onto their place, they would win the meet. And that's exactly what happened.

North only won two events (Casey Matthews, 1-meter diving, set pool, ECIC, Section VI record with 535.35 points) and Abigail MacDonald (100-yard backstroke, 1:02.48) but took tons of points in several events.

Maggie Schmidt and Britney Talty finished second (26.06) and third (personal best 26.61) in the 50 free. In the 100 free, Cami Farkas took second (55.65) and Talty (personal-best 59.77), Kirsten Berg (personal best 59.94) and Abby Zwierzchowski (1:00.26; personal-best 59.71 in prelims) came in tenth through twelfth.

Farkas was third in the 200 free (2:01.32). MacDonald took sixth in the 200 IM; Clare Battaglia won the event's consolation final in a personal-best 2:26.54. Battaglia also took eighth in the 500 free. Schmidt was sixth in the 100 fly. Cavagnaro won the consolation final of the 100 breast in a personal-best 1:17.83.

North's 200 medley relay of MacDonald, Erin Cavagnaro, Battaglia and Tatlty placed fourth in 2:00.57. Each swam their fastest split times of the year.

The 200 free relay of Farkas, Schmidt, Talty and Zwierzchowski were third in 1:45.43.

North's final relay of the day, the 400 free, comprised of Farkas, Schimidt, MacDonald and Zwierzchowski, took fourth in 3:55.33.

Dana Gradl added a personal-best 310.20 in 1-meter diving.

Williamsville East

The Lady Flames hit a few school-record times at ECICs in preliminaries.

Janelle Munroe eclipsed her own school record in the 100 butterfly in 59.32.

Bailey Woodling broke her own 200 individual medley school record in 2:17.07.

East finished second in Class AA with 281 points.

At finals, the Lady Flames' 200 medley relay and 400 free relays each won. The 200 medley relay of Woodling, Kristen Ostanski, Munroe and Britany O'Dea won in 1:55.86; the 400 free relay of Woodling, O'Dea, Tori Mayer and Munroe finished in 3:46.57.

Ostanski was fourth in the 100 breast in a personal-best swim of 1:14.77. Munroe placed second in the 100 fly and 100 back. Woodling was third in the 200 IM and 100 fly. Mayer came in fourth in the 500 free and seventh in the 200 free.

Other place finishers for East were Kelsey Bradbury (fifth, 500 free; 11th, 200 IM), Sara Rogers (11th, 100 fly, 12th, 200 IM), O'Dea (eighth, 50 free), Taylor Castle (tenth, 1-meter diving), Kelsey Crawford (12th, 100 back), Julie Hsieh (15th, 200 IM; 16th, 100 back), Brianna Reinecke (16th, 200 free), Kim Gergelis (11th, 100 breast) and Emily Bradley (14th, 100 breast).

Sweet Home

Host team Sweet Home finished fifth in Class AA with 169 points.

Paige Gutowski won the 200 IM in 2:11.74 and was second in the 100 breast in 1:06.98. Both swims qualified her for the New York State Championships.

Kaitlin Mergler was third in the 100 free and sixth in the 200 free.

Sarah Mazuchowski took sixth in the 500 free.

Sweet Home's 400 free relay took third in 3:54.25; their 200 free relay came in fourth in 1:46.63.

Williamsville South

The Lady Billies placed tenth in Class AA with 122 points.

Alaina Laszewski led South with a fifth-place finish in the 100 back (1:07.25). She was also tenth in the 200 IM (2:27.16).

Jackie Jordan took seventh in the 100 free (59.68) and tenth in the 50 free (27.13). Bridget Dix won the 100 fly consolation final in 1:08.11. Jennifer Rogers was 11th in the 200 free and 16th in the 100 free. Erin Rogers was tenth in the 500 free.

South's medley relay of Laszewski, Dix, Jessica Gordon and Jackie Jordan placed seventh. The 200 free relay of Erin Rogers, Dix, Lindsey Darling and Jennifer Rogers came in 12th. The 400 free relay of Jordan, Erin Rogers, Laszewski and Jennifer Rogers was eighth.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com