Bangor boys, girls teams roll to wins

BANGOR – Under normal circumstances, the Bangor boys swim team might have to worry about Belfast in a dual meet. But with several Lions out or swimming lighter loads because of sickness, the Rams rolled to yet another victory at the Husson College pool Friday night.

Bangor won all but one event and had a chance to race each other en route to a 124-62 win.

The Bangor girls faced a small but hardy Ellsworth team and came away with a 143-27 victory, also at Husson.

The Ellsworth boys, a team which has grown in size over the past year, swam against Bangor and Belfast as an exhibition team.

The Bangor boys received wins from their standout group of seniors, including twin brothers Jim and Dan Soucie and Tae Chung, along with sophomore Eric Palmer.

All three Ram relays came away victorious, but it wasn’t always easy. Jim Soucie provided the approximately 200-person crowd with the best race of the meet in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Soucie swam the anchor leg in the event, behind junior Martin Fitch.

Fitch had just come out of the water after racing his best time in the 500 free, and lagged a little in his relay leg against Belfast’s Jon Crowe. The Lions had a 1.3-second lead at the start of the final leg, but amazingly, Soucie caught Belfast anchor Dana Randlett thanks to a big push on the turn and stretch on the finish, and touched out Randlett by a one-hundredth of a second (the Rams won in 1:35.98).

“I had a really good start. I had a really good turn and that’s what I needed,” Soucie said. “He had me at the finish and I just passed him.”

Fitch’s earlier effort in the 500 also provided for a good race against fellow distance specialist Palmer. The two were even for the first 100 yards, but Palmer inched away in the middle portion of the race. Fitch was never far off, however, and pushed Palmer to a personal-best 5:14.66 (Fitch touched in at 5:14.86, which is also his best time).

It was a typical race for the two, who have developed into friendly rivals. Bangor coach Phil Emery originally had Fitch swimming alone in the 500, but the two told Emery they wanted to face each other in the event.

“Martin and I like to race each other,” Palmer said. “We push each other and we have a good friendship.”

Belfast coach Bob Winslow was missing standout sprinter Aran Lawrence because of illness, and Crowe also wasn’t feeling well. With Lawrence, the Lions could have won the 50 and 100 free events, but considering the sick swimmers, Winslow was pleased with the team’s performance.

“[Last year against Bangor] we scored 72 points, and I told [the Belfast team] if we scored 60 points, we’d be in good shape. We scored 62.”

Belfast’s Mo Darres, who will be a distance ace for Winslow this season, won the 100 butterfly (1:03.11).

Bangor’s Justin Alley scored 179.15 points to win the 1-meter diving.

In the girls meet, Stacey McAvoy and Candida Carvajal each won two events for the Rams.

McAvoy took the 100 free (1:01.65) and the 100 back (1:10.05).

Carvajal swam an odd combination – the 50 free and the 500 free.

“Early in the season I’m just trying to qualify for states in everything,” Carvajal said of swimming both the shortest and longest events in the meet.

Bangor’s Samantha Hartery cruised to an easy win in the diving, racking up 181.05 points.

Anna Chornyak, Ellsworth’s top swimmer, took two events. The senior won the 200 IM (2:31.18) and the 100 breaststroke (1:18.33).

“I think her times were good for the beginning of the season,” Ellsworth coach Matt Montgomery said. “She didn’t have any personal bests, but it’s early.”

Eagle Alison Chamberlain got the biggest ovation of the night when she finished the 500 free. Her time was off the pace by about six minutes, but Montgomery said it was the first race of the freshman’s career.