ORONO – They’ve done it with dominant performers and they’ve done it with balance. Almost always, they’ve done it with depth. This year was no exception.

Coach Doug Springer’s Old Town girls won their fourth straight Class B state swimming and diving championship at the University of Maine’s Wallace Pool here Monday. They did it without a single swimmer winning an individual event.

Old Town scored 297 points to runner-up Morse of Bath’s 249.

“It feels very good,” said Springer. “It doesn’t compare to the (Old Town) boys’ 11 in a row, but we’re catching up. You have to start somewhere.”

The term “team effort” has become a cliche, but there really isn’t any other way to describe Old Town’s formula for the 1995 crown.

The Indians’ only victory was in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Old Town’s sophomore-dominated team of Emily Oliver, Becky Cyr, Jenny Hodgkins and junior Debbie Godsoe comfortably beat Morse by 1.28 seconds.

The relay victory dealt Morse a blow early in the meet.

But the key events for the Indians were the 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke.

Old Town took second-, third-, and fourth-place finishes for 18 total points in the backstroke and another 11 from third-, fourth-, and sixth-place finishes in the breaststroke.

“I think that’s basically it. We don’t have all the stars, but we certainly do have depth,” Springer said. “That makes a big difference.”

“I think this year what made a difference is Morse had a lot more stars,” the sixth-year coach said. “Where we won certain events last year, they won those this year.”

Springer was reluctant to compare this team to past teams. He did say he was happy for his seniors, who have been part of state champion teams each of their high school years.

Springer singled out Cyr as one who typified the team’s performance.

Cyr was seeded to finish out of the top six in the 200 free but swam a personal best and finished fourth. She was also seeded out of the 100 backstroke, but she swam another personal best to take fourth again.

“I’ve been waiting a long time and working very hard for this,” said Cyr. “And I’m so glad.”

Old Town was also led by the “Smith girls” – sisters Shannon, Trina and Jessica. The trio had a part in two second-place relay finishes and accounted for a total of 66 points.

“There are too many of us. They just can’t deal with three,” said Shannon Smith, a senior who said she felt a little pressure to keep “the streak” going.

Orono’s sensational sophomore, Sarah Kovenock, was named the meet’s outstanding swimmer. She broke her own state mark set last year (1:58.37) with a 1:58.34 in the 200-yard freestyle early in the meet. She also won the 100 free in 54.24 seconds – 28 hundredths off the state mark.

Among other Eastern Maine standouts, John Bapst senior Heather McLeod won the 500 freestyle in 5:32.76, and Jessica Nickels from Mount Desert Island won the 100 breaststroke in 1:12.83.

Team and individual champs from Monday’s state Class B girls swim meet: TEAM Old Town 297

INDIVIDUALS

200 medley relay: Morse (Guerin Anglim, Emily Coes, Eleanor Thoet, Jenny Hodgkins) 1:55.26

200 free: Sarah Kovenock (Orono) 1:58.34 (STATE RECORD)

50 free: Eleanor Thoet (Morse) 24.74 (STATE RECORD)

200 IM: Emily Coes (Morse) 2:16.30

1-meter diving: Katie Mailman (Falmouth) 457.20 points (STATE RECORD)

100 fly: Eleanor Thoet (Morse) 1:00.80

100 free: Sarah Kovenock (Orono) 54.24

500 free: Heather McLeod (John Bapst) 5:32.76

200 free relay: Old Town (Emily Oliver, Becky Cyr, Jesse Madden, Debbie Godsoe) 1:44.07

100 back: Guerin Anglim (Morse) 1:01.55 (STATE RECORD)

100 breaststroke: Jessica Nickels (Mount Desert Island) 1:11.80

400 free relay: Morse (Eleanor Thoet, Eliza Thoet, Emily Coes, Barbara VanOrden) 3:53.53