BANGOR – The Bangor High girls swim team doesn’t usually get pushed very hard during its dual-meet season.

Even so, the Rams were well aware Mount Desert Island would be a legitimate threat during Saturday’s Penobscot Valley Conference champion-ship at the Husson College pool.

The Trojans made sure the Rams were tested, but coach Cindi Howard’s Bangor squad met the challenge.

Junior Gabby Babin won the 50- and 100-yard freestyle for the second straight year and anchored the winning 200-yard free relay squad to help Bangor earn its eighth consecutive PVC title by outscoring MDI 409-368.

“We know that MDI was right after us, so we wanted to go out there and try our best,” said Bangor senior Erica Simpson, who swam on two first-place relays (200 medley, 200 free) and placed second in the 100 backstroke and sixth in the 200 individual medley.

“I feel like we were pushed more because of them and that’s why we did so well today,” she added.

John Bapst of Bangor claimed third place with 132 points while Brewer was fourth (113), Old Town fifth (106) and Ellsworth sixth (93). Rounding out the field were Hampden Academy (58 points), Presque Isle (36), Orono (26), Foxcroft Academy (21), Caribou (18) and Bangor Christian (1).

Class A Bangor won nine of the day’s 12 events while placing 19 different athletes in the scoring column.

“This is two meets in a row when they swam against us where they’ve had the two best meets I’ve ever seen out of them,” MDI coach Tony DeMuro said of the Rams.

“It’s been a while since anyone’s really challenged them and I think Cindi did a real good job of getting them psyched up,” he added.

Bangor kicked off the meet with a win in the 200 medley relay behind Simpson, Sorrell Cardello, Grace Barnett and Michelle Gist in 1 minute, 57.85 seconds.

“We were seeded second. It’s just getting the girls motivated and knowing that’s the one we have to take to get the ball rolling,” Howard said.

Lily Herbold (2:05.75) and Mara Shapero followed that up with a 1-2 finish in the 200 free to give Bangor the early momentum.

Babin was a Bangor catalyst, taking the 50 free in 26.63 and later outdueling MDI’s Chelsea White in the 100 free (57.65). She then anchored the Rams’ winning 200 free relay (1:47.14) that included Shapero, Simpson and Gist.

“We’ve had good meets, but I think this was probably our best so far,” Babin said. “It’s a good motivator for us and we can see what we can really do.”

Herbold, a junior, was a repeat individual winner. She captured the 500 free in 5:34.0 competed on Bangor’s second-place 400 free relay quartet.

“She’s one of my top breaststrokers, but she’s just been showing that she’s had the capability in the distance swim,” Howard said.

Sophomore Grace Barnett was another mainstay for Bangor. The transfer from Texas won the 200 IM (2:17.41) and the 100 butterfly (1:02.98) and turned in an inspired swim to anchor the 400 free relay.

“She was phenomenal,” Howard said.

Shapero, a junior, also contributed a second in the 500 free and was on the 400 free relay. Sophomore Cardello also bettered her school record (1:11.52) with a second-place finish in the 100 breaststroke and took fourth in the 200 IM.

Junior Emma Chaiken took top honors in the diving (309.05 points). Senior Katie Bears (100 breaststroke) and freshman Brianna Theriault (50 free) added third-place efforts.

Brewer’s Jessica Hodsdon made an impressive PVC debut. The 14-year-old freshman set a PVC and Brewer High record, swimming the 100 breaststroke in 1:09.55.

“I didn’t do very well in the [200 IM], so I wanted to try and make up for it,” said Hodsdon, hoarse after a day of cheering on her teammates.

Hodsdon, who was second in the 200 IM and was on the Witches’ 200 medley (third) and 400 free (fourth) relays, had extra motivation in the 100.

“My cousin Sorrell [Cardello], she’s the one that got me into swimming, so we’ve been going at it back and forth,” Hodsdon said.

MDI tuned up for the Class B state meet by receiving scoring contributions from 18 swimmers and divers, 16 of whom scored in at least two events.

“It wasn’t flashy. It was solid and that’s what we were looking for,” said DeMuro, who formulated his lineup carefully in preparation for the states.

Senior Iris Meehan paced MDI, winning the 100 backstroke in 1:03.96. She also led off the Trojans’ victorious 400 free relay team, which included Brenna Crothers, Julia Macauley and White.

“That last relay is so much faster than I thought they could go,” DeMuro said of the group that was timed in 3:51.69.

“I’m super happy. We ended on a great note.”

White also was second in the 100 free and third in the 200 free; Macauley was third in the 200 IM and 100 back; Kelly Harrison took second in the 50 free and fourth in the 100 free. All three swam on the runner-up 200 medley relay team.

Crothers placed third in the 100 free and fifth in the 200 free.