The Severna Park High School girls swim team repeated as county champions Friday at the Arundel Olympic Swim Center.
by Aaron Gray
It's a simple equation for the Severna Park High School
girls swim team: Lloyld sisters + relay events = win.
Every time sophomore twin sisters Emily and Sarah Lloyd entered
the pool Friday at the Arundel Olympic Swim Center, a few seconds would go by and then they would exit as winners. They tightened their
stranglehold on the Anne Arundel County swimming field by winning four
individual events and contributing to all three winning relay teams to
lead the Falcons to their second straight county championship title.
Severna Park, which swept all three relays for the second
year, finished with 135 points. It was followed by Broadneck (112) and last
year's county championship runner-up South River (89). Arundel (69)
was fourth while Chesapeake and Annapolis finished tied for fifth with 37 each.
"Yes sir, we attacked those relay events," said
Falcons' first-year coach Mike McTammany, whose team will be aiming for its
second consecutive state title later this month. "Last week's meet told us
a lot so we took some of our best people and moved them around a little bit.
Everyone came up big and stepped it up a notch. We have a small team but
we picked up points from just about everyone."
After Whitney Avers' win the 500-yard freestyle, the Bruins
cut Severna Park's lead to 76-73, but that was as close they would get. The
Falcons responded by winning the last two relay events -- the 200
and 400 free relays -- which silenced any chance of an upset.
"Everyone just felt really good out there today,"
said Emily Lloyd, who set a meet record in the 200 free (1 minute, 56.33
seconds) and won the 50 free (24.38). She also swam the anchor leg of the winning
200 and 400 free relays.
When the word "dynasty" came up, Lloyd was modest.
"Uh, I guess," she said. "There's a lot of
great swimmers in the county so you never know who's going to come up next
year."
Emily Lloyd probably saved her best performance for the last
race of the night. It appeared Severna Park was already on its way to victory
but that didn't stop her from making a comeback in the 400
relay. Trailing by several body lengths and in third place right before her
leg, Lloyd caught up with Broadneck's Lauren Armstrong and surpassed her with
15 yards left.
"What can I say? She's a champion," McTammany said.
"At the very least, I thought it would be touch-touch but on the last 50,
she just turned it on."
Severna Park sophomore Melissa Cropper got things started
for the 200 medley and 200 free relays while junior Lauren Beigel also swam on
two of the three winning relay teams.
Sarah Lloyd dominated the 200 IM (2:11.34) and 100 butterfly
(56.42) to put the Falcons in good position heading into the distance and relay
events.
"The girls were close and I know they're
frustrated," Broadneck coach Colleen Winans said. "But this team is
growing and we have a great crop of freshmen coming in next year. I know we're within striking
distance so we'll see what happens in the future."
Along with Avers' win in the 500 free (5:09.05), Armstrong
also tallied a victory for the Bruins in the 100 backstroke with a time of
1:02.30, breaking the meet record set by Emily Lloyd last year.
The third-place Seahawks were paced by Brianna Griffin in
the 100 breast (1:11.42) and Mary Kay Harris in 100 free (56.68).
"I thought we did very well overall because we set a
lot of personal best times," said Harris, who also competed in the 50 free
along with the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay. "Last week's meet with
these teams was tough but there’s always going to be competition. You're never
going to get good unless you go against the best. There's always room
to improve and we will definitely do that before the state meet."
Arundel senior Jamie Fowler sparked the Wildcats' team
finish. She was second in the 500 free (5:39.51), third in the 100 butterfly
(1:04.43) and was the third leg on Arundel's 200 free relay team, which
finished second in a time of 1:50.49. Senior Amanda Hachey joined Fowler on the
200 free relay team but also took third in both the 100 free
and 100 breast.
Senior Kate-Lynn Hutchinson led Chesapeake with a
second-place showing in the 200 IM (2:22.32) and a fifth-place finish in the
100 back (1:07.14).
Annapolis freshman Nicole Kliewer was third in the 500 free
(5:41.03) and was joined by sister, Kaitlyn, along with Allie Gehring and Kelsey Swensen on a 400 free relay team that took fourth with a
time of 4:18.97.
TEAM SCORES: 1. Severna Park 135, 2. Broadneck 112, 3. South
River 89, 4. Arundel 69, 5. Chesapeake 37, 5. Annapolis 37, 7. Old Mill 16, 8. Meade 10, 9. North County 8, 9. Southern 8, 11.
Northeast 4.
WINNING TIMES: 200 medley relay – Severna Park (Cropper,
Beigel, S. Lloyd, Kline) 1:53.80; 200 free – E. Lloyd (SP) 1:56.33; 200 IM – S. Lloyd (SP) 2:11.34; 50 free – E. Lloyd (SP) 24.38; 100
butterfly – S. Lloyd (SP) 56.42; 100 free – Harris (SR) 56.68; 500 free – Avers
(BN) 5:09.05; 200 free relay – Severna Park (Cropper,
Cosgrove, S. Lloyd, E. Lloyd) 1:43.83; 100 backstroke – Armstrong (BN) 1:02.30;
100 breast – Bri. Griffin (SR) 1:11.42; 400 free relay – Severna
Park (Miller, Kline, Beigel, E. Lloyd) 3:48.85.
For complete times of all events, click here. For the
official final team standings, click here.