EMERGING FROM ALL-AMERICAN SHADOWS, A NEW CROP OF EAGLES LEADS MCDONOGH TO ITS SIXTH STRAIGHT IAAM SWIMMING TITLE |
by Derek Toney
The more things change, the more they stay the same for the McDonogh School girls" swimming team.
The
Eagles remained atop the IAAM mountain, winning the championship early
Sunday afternoon at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County's
Aquatic Center. For the sixth consecutive year, the league's
championship glass bowl is headed back to Owings Mills.
"We
weren't really sure coming into the meet if we could do it," said
McDonogh coach Scott Ward. "Mount de Sales and Notre Dame Prep are both
tremendously talented and very deep. We just knew we were going to have
a great meet, and the girls responded."
The Eagles (485 points)
outlasted Mount de Sales (414) and Notre Dame Prep (372). It was a far
cry from McDonogh's decisive 144-point victory a year ago that was
penned by All-Americans Anne-Marie Botek and Kelly Peloquin, who are
freshmen at Georgia and Miami, respectively. The prevailing thought
around the league was that the Eagles would come back to the IAAM pack.
By
the time freshman Rachael Schaffer touched the wall, clinching the meet
record in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3 minutes, 39.67 seconds),
McDonogh had cleared the final hurdle to its 50th consecutive league
meet victory. Ward said 26 personal bests were set out of 27 swims
Sunday.
"We thought it was going to be a one to four-point meet,
so that put everyone on their toes," said Eagles senior Kat McIntosh.
"I think that really helped us. We knew what we needed to do."
McDonogh
claimed first in seven of the 11 events with McIntosh taking the 50
freestyle in 24.75 seconds and senior Bridgette Flora in the 100
freestyle (54.86). Sophomore Brileigh Pinkney won the 100 breaststroke
(1:07.67) and Schaffer placed first in the 200 medley (2:11.59).
The
Eagles swept the relay with Becky and Bridgette Flora, Audrey Olszewski
joining Schaffer in breaking Notre Dame Prep's 2001 mark (3:40.2) in
the 400 freestyle. Caroline Spearman, Pinkney, Bridgette Flora and
McIntosh combined for victory in the 200 freestyle (1:40.74) with
Spearman, Pinkney, McIntosh and Schaffer clocking 1:50.55 in the 200
medley.
Junior Emily Dean successfully defended her 100
backstroke title (59.55) for Mount de Sales, while Notre Dame Prep
senior Rebecca Godwin retained the 500 freestyle title (5:05.34).
Godwin's teammate, sophomore Maggie Brown, won the 200 freestyle
(1:56.66), and Roland Park junior Erin O'Donnel repeated in the 100
butterfly (58.49).
Archbishop Spalding won the IAAM B Conference
title. The Severn school received top individual finishes from senior
Donna Healy (5th in 200 freestyle) and sophomore Colleen Miller (tied
for 7th in 50 freestyle). The Cavaliers were fourth in the 200
freestyle relay and fifth in the 200 medley relay.
Ward said
McDonogh getting its own indoor pool facility was instrumental to the
team's success this season. The Henry A. Rosenburg, Jr. Aquatic Center
was unveiled late last year.
But for McDonogh's senior class,
emerging from the shadow from Botek, who holds six finals" marks, and
Peloquin, was a source of motivation.
"People were saying we
weren't going to be able to keep the streak alive because we depended
so much on them," said McIntosh. "Everyone on this team really pulled
through'so what we don't have amazing Olympic-caliber superstars, we
have a team that is strong, competitive and willing to hard work for
what they want to achieve."
Here are the complete teams results and the top finishers from each event.
A Conference Team Scores:
1. McDonogh (McD), 485
2. Mount de Sales (MdS), 414
3. Notre Dame Prep (NDP), 372
4. St. Mary's (STM), 229
5. Bryn Mawr (BM), 226.
B Conference Team Scores:
1. Archbishop Spalding (AS), 438
2. Severn (SEV), 290
3. John Carroll (JC), 236
4. Institute of Notre Dame (IND), 235
5. Roland Park Country (RPC), 218
6. St. Paul's School for Girls (SPSG), 188
7. Seton Keough (SK),168
8. St. Vincent Pallotti (SVP), 128
9. Catholic High (CH), 79
10. Towson Catholic (TC), 44.
Individual Results:
200 Medley Relay
1. McDonogh (1:50.55)
2. Mount de Sales (1:52.68)
3. Bryn Mawr (1:59.65)
4. Notre Dame Prep (1:59.83)
5. Archbishop Spalding (2:00.43)
200 Freestyle
1. Brown (NDP) 1:57.66
2. Olszewski (McD) 1:57.92
3. Flora (McD) 1:58.97
4. Paavola (NDP) 1:59.02
5. Healy (AS) 2:02.05
200 Individual Medley
1. Schaffer (McD) 2:11.59
2. Godwin (NDP) 2:11.69
3. Flora (McD) 2:11.96
4. Gallagher (MdS) 2:13.47
5. Avers (SEV) 2:14.97
50 Freestyle
1. McIntosh (McD) 24.75
2. Pinkney (McD) 24.95
3. Riley (MdS) 25.10
4. Moore (MdS) 25.21
5. Mulderrig (NDP) 25.47
100 Butterfly
1. O'Donnel (RPC) 58.49
2. McIntosh (McD) 58.58
3. Paavola (NDP) 59.15
4. Dean (MdS) 1:00.23
5t. Farnham (SEV) 1:01.36
5t. Tostanoski (McD) 1:01.36
100 Freestyle
1. Flora (McD) 54.86
2. Olszewski (McD) 55.47
3. Riley (MdS), 55.51
4. Shea (MdS) 55.58
5. Capozzoli (NDP) 55.83
500 Freestyle
1. Godwin (NDP) 5:05.34
2. Brown (NDP) 5:12.75
3. Flora (McD) 5:13.24
4. Avers (SEV) 5:21.82
5. Magaw (AS) 5:23.32
200 Freestyle Relay
1. McDonogh (1:40.74)
2. Mount de Sales (1:41.41)
3. Notre Dame Prep (1:41.47)
4. Archbishop Spalding (1:47.58)
5. John Carroll (1:52.01)
100 Backstroke
1. Dean (MdS) 59.55
2. Burns (SEV) 1:01.24
3. Tawney (RPC) 1:01.30
4. Spearman (McD), 1:01.84
5. Tostanoski (McD) 1:02.92
100 Breaststroke
1. Pinkney (McD) 1:07.67
2. White (BM) 1:07.80
3. Randolph (SM) 1:09.94
4. Moore (MdS) 1:10.66
5. Schaffer (McD) 1:10.96
400 Freestyle Relay
1. McDonogh (3:39.67)
2. Notre Dame Prep (3:43.22)
3. Mount de Sales (3:44.59)
4. Severn (3:55.08)
5. Bryn Mawr (3:55.29)
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