Mainers hope to make a splash at NE meet

Most of Maine’s top high school swimmers, including a group from the 4-time defending Class B state champion MDI boys, will compete in Saturday’s New England Championships, but just one member of Bangor High’s Class A boys and girls state championship teams will take part.

Senior Emma Chaiken, who was the 2007 high school diving champion, will be the Rams’ lone representative when the high schoolers travel to Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I. Teams from Rhode Island and New Hampshire also compete.

The swimming portion of the meet starts with the 200-yard medley relay at 12:30 p.m. Diving preliminaries and semifinals start at 9 a.m.

There is no team scoring or placing. Plaques will be awarded to the winner of each event and ribbons will be given to finishers 2-6.

Admission will be $7. There is free admission for children younger than school age.

The Maine teams are made up of the Class A and Class B champion and then the three next fastest times regardless of class.

Bangor boys coach Phil Emery said he asked some of the swimmers and parents but there wasn’t a lot of interest in going to New Englands.

“It wasn’t really a pressing issue with them,” said Emery, who guided the Rams to the New England championship in 1975, when team titles were awarded and the meet was held one week after Maine’s high school championships.

“I’m not pooh-poohing it in any way,” Emery added. “It’s just, it’s three weeks after the end of the season and it’s not really on my radar.”

The Bangor boys could have sent at least two relays but not many individuals would have qualified, Emery added. Chaiken was the only Bangor High swimmer of the boys or girls to win an event at states. Four Bangor girls qualified but that team decided not to go despite competing last year.

Chaiken, however, is looking forward to the meet. The Class A state champion, Bangor’s first since Brooke Hayes won it in 1997, was sixth last year.

“I had a lot of fun last year,” said Chaiken, who is hoping to dive in college next year and learned recently she’s been admitted to the University of Maine’s honors college. “It’s competitive and I met a lot of divers from other states. It was a good learning experience, to see all the different levels of divers there.”

Bangor’s boys didn’t go to New Englands last year. None of the Cape Elizabeth swimmers are attending New Englands. Swimmers from Hampden qualified but aren’t attending.

MDI will still be well-represented, as will Brewer, Belfast, John Bapst of Bangor and Orono.

All three of MDI’s relays are the top Maine seeds. The Trojans boys and girls combined to win five of six relays in 2006.

MDI’s Justin Gilmartin has the top Maine time in the 100 butterfly and is second in the 100 backstroke.

Other MDI swimmers who will compete in individual events are Ty Onda (200 individual medley, 100 back), Aaron Rourk (200 free), Reid Swanson (100 free), Ian Carbone (500 free, 100 breaststroke), Michael Breen (500 free) and Patrick Breen (100 free).

Trojan senior Frank Carbone, who won both the 200 and 500 free races at Class B states, is traveling to Rhode Island but may not swim due to an injury.

Tyler Bowen of Belfast, the 2006 IM champion, will be Maine’s top representative in that event and the 100 backstroke, in which he was second last year.

Brewer’s Andrew Meehan will compete in the 200 free and 500 free while teammate John Williams earned spots in the fly and the IM and Todd Shane will dive. The Witches also qualified all three of their relays.

Drew Desrosiers will represent John Bapst in the 50 free and breaststroke and Ryan Trafton will compete in the fly. The Crusaders also have a medley relay team.

In the girls meet, Brewer’s Jessica Hodsdon will try to defend her 2006 breaststroke victory with a win Saturday. She will also compete in the 50 free, in which she was second at New Englands last year.

Lauren Dwyer of Orono, a freshman who won the 50 free and fly at Class B states, will compete in both events at New Englands. Bapst’s Tara Nitardy will swim the 200 free and fly.

The MDI girls qualified all three relays. The Trojans’ individuals are Julia Macauley (back, IM), Amy Harrison (100 free) and Kelly Harrison (breaststroke).

Last year Maine swimmers won 14 New England titles and took 58 of 144 places.