Brewer teams cruise to victories

BANGOR – The Brewer girls and boys swimming teams rolled to easy victories over Ellsworth Friday night at the Bangor-Brewer YWCA’s Aloupis Pool.

With just one boy and 13 girls on the Class B Eagles side against a 45-person strong Class A Witches squad, the Brewer girls won their meet 111-54, while the boys earned a 125-4 victory.

“In a meet like this we try to race against each other,” Brewer coach Kathy Cahill said. “I’ll line up two people with similar times in the same race. We’re trying to push each other.”

Kaitlin Sighnolfi won two individual events, the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard individual medley with a time of two minutes, 38.37 seconds. Sighnolfi’s finish of 1 minute, 14.74 seconds in the fly qualifies her for the Class A state meet. She also swam in the winning 200 medley relay and the 400 free relay.

“I’m happy about my times, especially the fly, because I’m not a flyer,” Sighnolfi said. “I did a lot of fly over the summer in YMCA swimming and when I got back to school, coach said, `Guess who’s the flyer?’ ”

Brewer’s Katie Higgins touched out Cara McEwen in the 200 free (2:31.02), but McEwen beat Higgins in the 100 backstroke with a 1:12.04 finish later in the meet. Brewer freshman Hilary Ohmart also qualified for states with 156.85 points in the 1-meter dive.

But just because Brewer won doesn’t mean the Ellsworth girls didn’t get strong swims from its young and inexperienced team and a pair of standouts.

Sisters Anna and Brooke Chornyak each won two individual events and helped Ellsworth win the 200-freestyle relay. Sophomore Anna Chornyak won the 100 breaststroke and the 50 free, while junior Brooke Chornyak took the 500 free and the 100 free and competed in three events in a row for the Eagles.

Anna Chornyak led off the relay and Brooke Chornyak swam the anchor leg, coming from behind for the victory with a 2:00.68 finish. Erin Walsh and Mary Beth Keene swam the second and third legs, respectively.

“We like to cheer each other on but we do get into fights,” Brooke Chornyak said with a smile. “Anna thinks I’m too competitive.”

Brewer junior Molly Johnson finished right behind Brooke Chornyak in the 500 free but sliced 12 seconds off her best time in the distance event.

“Molly is an experienced swimmer, so for her to do that is very good,” Cahill said.

In the boys meet, Brewer won all of the events behind strong performances from sophomore Sabattus O’Connell, who earned wins in the 100 backstroke (1:13.15) and 50 free (26.03) and anchored the 200 medley relay.

Senior Ryan Danforth won the 500 free with a 5:46.86 finish and the 100 fly in 1:11.22. Chris Rodman’s 157.15 points in the diving was also good enough to qualify for states.

O’Connell’s classmate, Chris Hanlon, grabbed first place in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:32.02 finish.

Kaitlin Sighnolfi got to cheer on her freshman brother Chris when he won the 200 IM (2:24.68), and she held the lap counter for him during the 500 free.

Junior Mike Poulin took the 100 free with a time of 1:06.97 and Mike Hartley, also a junior, won the 200 free in 2:25.57.

Ellsworth’s lone male swimmer, Tom Perkins, placed fourth in the 100 free and fourth in the 50 free.

“They’re all getting better as they’re learning to compete,” first-year Eagles coach Matt Montgomery said. “Even in the past two meets I’ve seen a lot of improvement.”

High school AT BANGOR-BREWER YWCA, Bangor

Brewer boys 125, Ellsworth 4

200 medley relay: Brewer “B” (Matt Mellott, Mike Poulin, Nick Rodway, Sabattus O’Connell) 2:16.89, Brewer “A” 2:22.67; 200 free: Mike Hartley (B) 2:25.57, Poulin (B) 2:29.87, Hanlon (B) 2:41.66; 200 IM: Chris Sighinolfi (B) 2:24.68, Rodway (B) 2:29.13; 50 free: Sabattus O’Connell (B) 26.03, Kingsbury (B) 28.15, Mellott (B) 32.61, Perkins (E) 35.72; Diving: Chris Rodway (B) 157.15; 100 fly: Ryan Danforth (B) 1:11.22, Rodway (B) 1:13.74; 100 free: Mike Poulin (B) 1:06.97, Lucier (B) 1:11.30, Allen (B) 1:12.99, Perkins (E) 1:22.52; 500 free: Ryan Danforth (B) 5:46.86, Sighinolfi (B) 5:47.95, Kingsbury (B) 6:48.43; 200 free relay: Brewer “A” (Matt Allen, Chris Hanlon, Sabattus O’Connell, Nick Rodway) 1:56.55, Brewer “C” 1:59.50; 100 back: Sabattus O’Connell (B) 1:13.15, Hartley (B) 1:15.87, Allen (B) 1:36.75; 100 breaststroke: Chris Hanlon (B) 1:32.02, Mellott (B) 1:32.93;

Brewer girls 111, Ellsworth 54

200 medley relay: Brewer “B” (Cara McEwen, Amanda Goodness, Kaitlin Sighinolfi, Molly Johnson) 2:17.17, Ellsworth 2:25.99, Brewer “A” 2:42.72; 200 free: Katie Higgins (B) 2:31.02, McEwen (B) 2:31.48, Hughes (B) 2:47.71, Sprow (E) 4:09.78; 200 IM: Kaitlin Sighinolfi (B) 2:38.37, Rand (B) 2:43.54, Keene (E) 2:43.97; 50 free: Anna Chornyak (E) 28.29, Johnson (B) 30.81, Thibeault (B) 31.67, Grohoski (E) 37.37, Mellott (B) 37.49; Diving: Hilary Ohmart (B) 156.85 pts., Capponni (B) 114.10; 100 fly: Kaitlin Si1:14.74, Keene (E) 1:17.33, Chase (B) 1:36.52, Levin (E) 1:46.51; 100 free: Brooke Chornyak (E) 59.68, Rand (B) 1:06.39, Bradford (B) 1:24.38, Pelletier (B) 1:30.79; 500 free: Brooke Chornyak (E) 6:11.28, Johnson (B) 6:37.12, Bishop (B) 7:11.67, Raczek (B) 7:42.42; 100 back: Cara McEwen (B) 1:12.04, Higgins (B) 1:18.37, Sprow (E) 1:54.88; 100 breaststroke: Anna Chornyak (E) 1:21.12, Bishop (B) 1:29.23, Chase (B) 1:29.93, Thibeault (B) 1:34.54; 400 free relay: Brewer “A” (Kaitlin Sighinolfi, Bridgett Rand, Molly Johnson, Cara McEwen) 4:31.46, Brewer “B” 5:17.15, Brewer “C” 5:16.60