Maine’s top high school swimmers, including Brewer freshman Jessica Hodsdon and several MDI competitors, racked up 14 first-place finishes in Saturday’s New England Swimming and Diving Championships, the first such meet since 1982.
Hodsdon’s win in the 100-yard breaststroke and MDI victories in five of the six relays represented six of Maine’s 14 titles at Saturday’s New England Swimming and Diving Championships at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I.
Overall, Maine individuals or relays took 58 out of 144 awards at the meet. The winner of each of the 24 events was given a plaque and places 2-5 were awarded ribbons.
There was no team or state scoring.
Hodsdon recorded season-best times in both the breaststroke and the 50 free, in which she finished second.
Her time of 1 minute, 9.54 seconds in the breaststroke beat Deering of Portland’s Emily Sweatt, who had edged Hodsdon for first in the Class A state meet last month.
Sweatt came from behind to win the Class A title, but on Saturday it was Hodsdon who rallied.
“I was really happy about that,” Hodsdon said. “I know she was ahead of me, but I moved up and beat her at the end.”
Bonny Eagle of Standish’s Hannah Branch picked up two NE titles. She won the girls 200 IM (2:14.25), followed by Bangor’s Grace Barnett in second place, and also took the 100 butterfly (59.61).
Lily Herbold of Bangor was second in the 500 free.
The only relay that MDI didn’t win was the girls 400 free relay. Greely of Cumberland Center took that event, followed by the Trojans in third.
In addition to the Trojans’ success in the relays, MDI’s Sargeant Pepper took the 50 free in a time of 22.65. Frank Carbone of MDI was second in both the 200 freestyle and the 500 free.
Tyler Bowen of Belfast won the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:04.26, and Paraguayan exchange student David Martinez of Old Town was the top finisher in the 200 free, winning the race in 1:49.22.
Martinez was also second in the 100 butterfly, while Bowen was the runner up in the 100 backstroke.
“There were a lot of really fast times,” Hodsdon said. “Everybody did pretty good.”
It was the first New England meet Maine participated in since 1979. Rhode Island and New Hampshire were the only other states to compete this year.
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