The Mount Desert Island boys swimming team hasn’t lost a meet this season and has some of the top individuals in the state.

But dual meets and individual performances aren’t of utmost concern as the Trojans head into the final week of the dual-meet season. After MDI faces John Bapst of Bangor, the Trojans will try to defend their Penobscot Valley Conference title, and then focus on winning a fifth straight Class B state title.

“We’re not really worried about these dual meets,” said MDI senior Justin Gilmartin, who won the 2007 state 100-yard butterfly championship and was second in the 100 backstroke. “It’s exciting but we’re looking at the big picture.”

PVCs will be held Feb. 8 at Husson College in Bangor. The Class B state championships are set for Feb. 18 at Bowdoin College in Brunswick.

The key for the Trojans this year – and in seasons past – has been versatility and overall team speed.

“I think our depth is probably the biggest thing,” Gilmartin said. “We have a lot more kids than most teams so that’s what’s going to help us down the line. Also, our ‘lane-sixers’ are faster than most other teams’. We have the hardest-working ‘lane-sixers’ around.”

As of last week’s time standings, MDI will be able to send 10 different swimmers in at least five different events to states, in addition to six others who had qualified in at least one event. MDI doesn’t have a diver this year, the one area in which the Trojans are lacking.

Gilmartin and sophomore Ian Carbone have qualified in all eight individual events, while sophomore Ty Onda is right behind them with seven qualifications.

“We have a lot of versatile kids,” Gilmartin said. “Most of us can swim multiple events and do well in them. We definitely have some really good swimmers.”

Gilmartin is certainly one of those really good swimmers. His butterfly time of 53.73 seconds is best in Class B (and also Class A), but he’s also second in the individual medley, 100 freestyle and backstroke. He’s third in the 200 free, fourth in the 50 free and ninth in the 500 free.

Carbone, who was second in the 500 free and third in the 100 breaststroke at last year’s state meet, is currently second and third, respectively, in those events, and is third in the IM. Onda, who took second in the IM and fourth in the back at 2007 states, has a top ranking this year of fourth in the IM.

Cullen O’Brien has qualified in seven events, while Nigel Storer, Ben Cline, Michael Breen, Patrick Breen and Andre Stevens-Rosa are all set in six events. All five, in addition to Abe Gladstone, Evan Hendricks and Eric Beals, scored at states last year.

While the Trojans’ times have been fast, it has taken a little more effort for the swimmers to get in line with what he’d like to see from them, coach Tony DeMuro said.

“Things are starting to gel,” he said. “Sometimes the expectations of coaches and high school kids are not in the same place. We’re working to [be on the same page], and we’re getting very warm. We’re getting there.”

The Trojans’ top competition for the overall team title will likely be Greely of Cumberland Center, which has a strong nucleus but not quite as much depth as MDI. The Rangers are leading Class B in all three relays – the medley relay and 200 and 400 free relays – but with the four same swimmers. MDI, however is deep enough to mix up its relay groupings and still be in contention.

The Trojans scored 418 points to the Rangers’ 276 last year.

“They’re going to give us a run for our money,” Carbone said. “It’ll be an interesting state meet.”

Speedy Class B

Whoever wins the state Class B swimming individual events, they would likely be fast enough to compete or win at the Class A level. Class B swimmers have faster times than their Class A counterparts in five of the eight individual events and two of three relays.

For example, the top Class A time for the 200-yard freestyle belongs to Cheverus of Portland’s Matt Libby, who clocked a 1:48.63.

The best Class B time, 1:47.43, belongs to Ellsworth’s Brian Batson.

In the 100 breaststroke, three Class B swimmers, led by John Bapst of Bangor’s Drew Desrosiers, have faster times than the best Class A time. Desrosiers has a 1:03.56 in that event, while Libby has a 1:05.80.

The top Class A time in the 400 free relay is Cheverus’ 3:34.98, followed by Brewer’s 3:36.30. The best two 400 free relay times in Class B are still better than the Cheverus time. Greely of Cumberland Center clocked a 3:28.07 while MDI followed in 3:32.00.

One event, the 100 free, has Class A’s James Wells of Morse High in Bath leading the way with a 48.57. But three Class B swimmers, led by Ellsworth’s Batson with a 49.70, are faster than the next-fastest Class A time. Belfast’s Tyler Bowen is faster than his Class A counterparts in the 500 free and the individual medley.

The exception this season is in the backstroke, where there are six Class A swimmers under one minute, while just three Class B swimmers are that fast.

The Trojans can’t pinpoint a reason why Class B seems to be a bit speedier this year.

“I think it changes every year,” Gilmartin said. “Next year Class A might be faster and then maybe in four years it’ll be Class B again. You never know.”

Bapst parents into gift-giving

Hang around a cheerleading competition long enough and you’ll see plenty of girls walking around with flowers which are presumably congratulatory tokens from family, friends, or maybe a boyfriend.

The John Bapst cheerleaders, however, have gotten some pretty creative presents this season. After each competition this winter – the Crusaders are 3-for-3 so far including Saturday’s win in the Eastern Maine Class B championships – the parents of the team’s four seniors have given each girl on the team a present that goes beyond flowers.

The goal is for every cheerleader to get a little present instead of some girls getting something like flowers while others go empty-handed.

“The [senior parents] work together with the other parents,” said Sheila Toomey, who is one of four seniors along with Melissa Glifort, Kaili Quinn and Brianne Cowan. “It’s just so we all are getting something from our parents. Some parents are unable to come, so we just want everyone to feel special.”

After the Penobscot Valley Conference Large School championships, the senior parents gave the Crusaders each a knit hat. The Big East Conference competition brought knee-high white and purple athletic socks. The Bapst cheerleaders got pajama bottoms and lollipops after Saturday’s Eastern Maine Class B title win.

The hats, socks and pajama bottoms – no word on how long the lollipops will last – will all surely be around longer than flowers.

“Flowers die,” Glifort said. “We’ll have these things forever.”

jbloch@bangordailynews.net

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