Hodsdon, Bowen post wins at New England meet

BRISTOL, R.I. – Brewer’s Jessica Hodsdon and Belfast’s Tyler Bowen successfully defended their individual New England titles and the MDI High School boys 400-yard freestyle relay team also won for the second straight year as Maine racked up 50 top-6 finishes Saturday in the New England Championships at Roger Williams College.

The only event which no Maine swimmers placed in the top six was the 100 backstroke.

There was no team scoring. Teams from Maine, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire participated.

Hodsdon won the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1 minute, 7.96 seconds while Bowen took the 200 individual medley in 2:03.95. MDI’s team of Justin Gilmartin, Ian Carbone, Reid Swanson and Patrick Breen recorded a time of 3:27.98 in the 400 free relay.

Sanford’s Jennifer Roberts was the only double winner, taking the girls IM and 100 butterfly. Other Maine wins came from South Portland’s Joe McGreehan in the boys diving, Waterville’s Megan Rancourt in the girls 500 free, and Greely of Cumberland Center’s Nathan Mecray in the boys breaststroke.

In the girls meet, Hosdson also went home with a third place in the 50 free (25.66) behind Orono’s Lauren Dwyer, who was second (25.21).

Dwyer also placed second in the fly (1:00.86).

MDI’s Julia Macauley took third in the IM (2:21.37) and MDI’s girls 200 medley relay team of Macauley, Amy Harrison, Marian Dorr and Kelly Harrison was fourth (2:01.28).

Bangor representative Emma Chaiken took fifth in the diving (263.90).

In the boys meet, Bowen also clocked a 56.47 in the backstroke to tie with Justin Gilmartin of MDI for second place in that event.

All three Trojan relays placed. An MDI team of Ty Onda, Carbone, Gilmartin, and Swanson took second in the medley relay (1:44.17) while Breen, Onda, Aaron Rourk, and Swanson were fifth in the 200 free relay (1:36.32).

Gilmartin also earned runner-up honors in the fly (54.02) while and Onda finished fourth in the IM (2:09.12).

Brewer diver Todd Shane was fourth in that event (193.35). Witches teammate Andrew Meehan finished fifth in the 500 free (5:07.95).