Cape Elizabeth wins Class A, Bangor third

ORONO – Senior Taylor McFarlane claimed her eighth state record Monday and led her Cape Elizabeth squad to its third straight state Class A schoolgirl swimming and diving title at the University of Maine’s Stanley Wallace Pool.

The Capers scored in every event and finished with 229 points, beating runner-up Cheverus of Portland, which rang up 184 points, and third-place Bangor, which posted 163.

Cheverus’ efforts were hampered when the Stags went scoreless in three of the 12 events, and the Rams’ hopes looked slim after their 400-yard freestyle relay team, which was seeded third, was disqualified in the preliminaries when one of the relay members left the block too early.

Deering of Portland took fourth at 150, and Scarborough was close behind in fifth at 147. Brewer had one of its best meets and scored 62 points to finish eighth.

Cape coach Kerry Kertes knew his team had its work cut out for it as the Capers set out to defend their crown.

“It was Cheverus’ speed and Bangor’s depth,” said Kertes. “I knew the race would be tight after the seeding [meeting].”

Kertes and his staff decided to go out on a limb to add points.

“When we put the team together, we decided to take some chances,” said Kertes.

McFarlane’s state record came in the 100 free as she touched in 52.65 seconds, just bettering the old mark of 52.71.

“I was thinking about it,” said McFarlane, who was named Swimmer of the Meet. She also holds state records in the 200 free, 200 individual medley, 500 free, and 100 backstroke, and was part of three relay state-record holders (200 medley, 200 free, and 400 free).

While she acknowledged her own effort, she played up the efforts of her younger teammates, especially freshmen Kinsey Tarbell and Alexandra Ciraldo.

“They swam like no one ever expected,” said McFarlane. “When I started we had a bunch of seniors we looked up to. We [the seniors] looked to be the best role models we could be, and I think we have been.”

Tarbell and Ciraldo finished sixth and fifth, respectively, to McFarlane in the 100 free, helping the Capers pile up 35 points in that one event and pull out to a 34-point lead over the Stags and 46 ahead of the Rams.

McFarlane added a second win in the 100 backstroke (1:00.22), and a third place in the 200 free relay and second in the 400 free relay gave Cape another 50 points.

Bangor coach Cindy Howard said her team took the disqualification well.

“The freshmen came up to the plate,” she said, especially of Gabby Babbin, Lisa Herbold, and Mara Shapero.

Cami Howard took second in the 200 individual medley and third in the 100 fly, and Chandra Lippitt was runner-up in the diving.

Cheverus announced its bid for the title right away when the Stags’ 200-yard medley relay team of Jill Horan, Megan McCrillis, Meagan Morris, and Emily Youmans snapped the meet record by swimming the four-stroke event in 1 minute, 54.01 seconds. The old mark of 1:54.37 was set by Westbrook in 1993.

Bangor stayed in the chase by taking fifth [Kayle Shapero] and eighth [Stephanie Palmer] in the 200 free, and the Rams continued to hang in when Cami Howard was runner-up in the 200 individual medley and Erica Simpson was ninth.

But Cape and Cheverus started to pull away by dominating the 50 free. Stag swimmers Horan and Youmans finished first and second, respectively, and Tarbell and Ciraldo tied for fourth. The big point loads put Cape and Cheverus atop the standings with 75 points each, 16 ahead of Bangor and 18 ahead of Deering, heading into the diving.

That was where Cape started to pull away as the Capers scored 16 points and Cheverus had no divers.

Then McFarlane and her teammates hit the water in the 10 free and the Capers cruised.

Brewer coach Kathy Cahill was especially pleased with her freshmen as well.

“Kallie Pottle set two career bests,” said Cahill. Pottle was second to McFarlane in the 100 back (1:02.95) and fifth in the 100 fly (1:01.81).

“It was a phenomenal meet,” Cahill said.