BANGOR – For several members of the Bangor High girls swim team, competing in their first Penobscot Valley Conference championship meet was a memorable – and busy – experience.

“It was fun. It was a little crowded, but it was fun,” sophomore Cami Howard said of the bustling Husson College pool deck in the moments after the Rams picked up their PVC championship trophy.

Ram swimmers Howard and junior Kayle Shapero, who are in their first year swimming for Bangor High, helped the defending champion Rams rack up 363 points, outdistancing runner-up MDI, for the PVC title Saturday.

The Trojans, who were third last year, scored 1991/2 points to hold off Old Town (186 points). John Bapst of Bangor was fourth with 1351/2 and Foxcroft finished fifth.

Howard, who moved to Maine from California last summer, dropped about four-tenths of a second in her 100 butterfly to edge Brewer’s Kallie Pottle (Pottle went on to win the 100 backstroke in 1:04.29) with a personal-best time of 1:02.51.

“It helps a lot [to have a fast swimmer in the next lane],” said Howard, who is good friends with the Brewer sophomore.

Howard also won the 500 free, but her 5:23.26 was a bit disappointing for her. She was going for the school record, which is 5:23.24.

“It’s OK. I still have states,” said Howard.

Shapero, who decided this year to swim for the Rams in addition to her Bangor-based club team, was seeded second in the 200 individual medley but shaved about five seconds off her seed time and earned a win in that event.

“I think it was because it was PVCs, there were so many people, I was really psyched up,” Shapero said. “It was fun.”

Both girls swam on the winning 200 free relay with freshman Stephanie Palmer and senior Lucy Gross, and the 400 free relay with Gross and senior Candida Carvajal.

Carvajal and Gross went 3-4 in the 50 free. Gross was third and Carvajal was fifth in the 100 fly.

Bangor freshmen Palmer (second in the 100 free) and Erica Simpson (second in the 200 free, third in the 100 back) also had strong first PVC meets. Senior Sarah Gordon, who is back swimming after surgery, was top six in both sprint freestyle events.

Bangor scored 52 points in diving alone thanks to a sweep of the top four spots. Samantha Hartery led the group with a 395.75 and Chandra Lippitt was second.

It wasn’t the first time swimming at PVCs for Jamie Garver of MDI, but the senior standout did win her first-ever championship. Garver actually picked up two first-place ribbons, one for her 2:03.45 finish in the 200 free and the other for winning the 100 free in 57.50. Both times were close to season-bests. She also led off MDI’s winning 200 medley relay team.

“It’s my first time coming in first at PVCs so that was fun,” Garver said. “I just think we were all pumped up because the boys did so well [Friday night]. … We did well. I was happy with this meet.”

Freshman Iris Meehan helped the Trojans earn points with second places in the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke. She also swam on the medley relay.

“Iris’ breaststroke was really good,” Garver said. “All the new swimmers did well at their first PVCs.”

Old Town’s Libby Caldwell dropped time in the 50 free to win that event with a time of 26.59, and was second in the 100 backstroke. Yanghee Kwon helped the Indians with a fourth in the fly and a third in the breaststroke.

Foxcroft’s Laura Swett won the breaststroke in 1:16.24.

The Crusaders had a number of nice swims, but their most satisfying was likely their second-place finish in the 200 free relay. Rebecca Stevens swam a blazing 25.02 in the final 50 yards to get fourth-seeded Bapst past MDI, which finished third.

“We put together a relay that on paper we knew they could do it,” said coach Gary Isherwood. “They just had to get in there and swim it. It took them by surprise because they’re always looking up at the other teams but all of a sudden they were ahead. They felt good about that.”

Heather Griffen of Presque Isle had a strong meet with a third in the 200 free and a second in the 500 free.