ORONO — As Bangor High prepared to cruise to a sixth straight Class A boys’ swimming and diving championship, the Rams handicapped themselves a little.

After appearing to finish first in the opening medley relay, the Rams were disqualified for a false start.

Cheverus won the race in 1:43.49 and took the team lead. The Stags held it briefly. But the powerful Rams took over by the fourth event.

Bangor won its sixth straight title Tuesday night at the University of Maine with 384 points. Cheverus was the runner-up with 280. Cape Elizabeth finished third with 245.5.

Trebor Lawton of Cheverus was named performer of the meet. He was the only double winner, with victories in the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke. Plus he swam on the winning medley relay and on the second-place 400 free relay.

“He’s been preparing for this and ready for this. He’s a competitor,” Che-verus Coach Kevin Haley said. “He never lets the team down.”

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Even with Bangor’s slip-up at the start, the Rams were too strong to catch. They had 15 swimmers in the final, 10 in consolations and four divers.

The second race saw some of that strength. David Swallwood reeled in Nick Sundquist of Windham on the final stretch of the 200 freestyle, winning in 1:44.76, 0.43 ahead of Sundquist. Henry Ditzel of Brunswick was third.

And that was just the start of a meet of highly contested races.

Sundquist (100 free), Evan Long of Cape Elizabeth (50 free), Joey Blair of Brunswick (100 butterfly), Arthur Conover of Messalonskee (500 free), and Eric Delmonte of Deering (100 breast stroke) all won events.

Tyler Goulden of Thornton Academy defended his diving title with 395.75 points, followed by Kevin Flathers of Cape Elizabeth and Dylan Farber of Deering.

After the 200 freestyle sizzler, the 200 individual medley topped it. Lawton took a small lead after the butterfly. Conover nudged ahead on the backstroke, then Delmonte took the lead after the breast stroke.

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Lawton was first in 1:57.94, followed by Conover (1:58.00) and then Delmonte (1:58.52).

“I was behind a lot of the race,” Lawton said. “I guess I just got it back.”

In the 50 free, Long nudged teammate Marcus Cloutier, 22.13 to 22.19.

Blair won the butterfly, staying ahead of Smallwood the whole way, winning in 52.81 to 52.99. Defending champion Tyler Wright of Massabesic was third.

Sundquist led from the start in the 100 free, finishing in 47.69. Cloutier got his second runner-up medal with a 48.65 time.

After so many close races, Conover defended his 500 freestyle title with a 28-second win in 4:40.37. Joseph Paluso of Windham was second.

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Cape Elizabeth’s 200 free relay defended its state title, with the team of Noah Backer, Long, Griffin Thoreck and Cloutier, winning in 1:32.30. That put the Capers briefly in second place overall.

“We swam great, a lot of best times,” Cape Coach Ben Raymond said. “Our goal was to try and catch Cheverus, but Cheverus swam really well. It was a good meet.”

Cheverus retook the lead with four swimmers in the backstroke — Lawton winning in 53.08, and three others in the consolation finals.

In the 100 breast stroke, Delmonte led a tight bunch halfway, then broke away in 1:00.31. Lars Murphy (fourth) and Drew Fernandez (eighth) secured Cheverus in second place.

Cheverus’ winning medley relay team was comprised of Lawton, Murphy, Reed Fernandez and Connor Pothier.

In the 400 freestyle relay, Bangor won in 3:21.64, with no disqualification. Cheverus (Reed Fernandez, Lawton, Lukas Temple and Pothier) was second, followed by Cape Elizabeth (Tom Robinson, Long, Thoreck and Cloutier).

Staff Writer Kevin Thomas can be contacted at 791-6411 or at:
kthomas@pressherald.com
Twitter: KevinThomasPPH


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