Section II adds a pair of runner-ups

Burnt Hills/ Scotia relay, Saratoga’s Love just miss wins at states

Friday’s NYSPHSAA and Federation Swimming Championships saw Albany High School sophomore diver Anna Flanders placing first by just two points. Saturday did not produce any more state swimming titles for Section II’s girls’ team, but there were some close calls.

Burnt Hills-Scotia-Glenville’s 200 medley relay team finished second with a time of 1 minute, 46.20 seconds in the first race of the day and Saratoga’s Rachel

Love added a runner-up finish in the 500 freestyle to highlight the efforts of local swimmers.

“We felt good about it,” Kendall Grant said of the BHSG team’s effort. “We dropped our time.”

Grant followed senior Ally Frame, who had a solid opening leg to keep BHSG close to Northport-Commack, the eventual winner by just 0.28 seconds.

“We were so close,” Frame said. “It was amazing. We worked so hard for this.”

Tia Jack swam the third leg and kept pace with NorthportCommack. She echoed Grant’s feelings about the race.

“The way we swam was amazing, exciting,” the sophomore said. “We didn’t win, so it’s a little disappointing.”

Senior Kaci Owens made up some ground down the stretch but it was not enough to earn gold.

“Obviously we’re athletes and we want to win,” Owens said. “But we gave it our all, especially compared to last year when we couldn’t have a state meet.”

BHSG coach Shawna Weaver was proud of the team’s effort.

“They worked extremely hard,” the youthful coach said. “It’s the hardest working group I’ve had.”

Love worked very hard in her bid for gold in two events for Saratoga.

“My 200 wasn’t my best, but I was mentally ready for the 500,” Love said.

Indeed. Cavan Gormsen of Sacred Heart Academy, a CHSAA school from Long Island, won in record time for the Federation crown. That left White Plains’ Alexa Reyna to battle Love for the NYSPHSAA title. It was a great battle that the Section I sophomore won with a 4:44.59 to Love’s 4:53.81. Gormsen was so fast she beat the existing record for Ithaca College’s women’s team in the 500.

“My goal was to get my best time, and I did that,” Love said with a smile as she was satisfied with her effort.

“She makes coaching so easy,” Saratoga’s veteran coach Josh Muldner said of his team’s star. “She puts in a lot of time. That was the highest placing in my 16 years for one of my girls. She’s one of a kind.”

Love wound up fourth in the Federation standings for the race. It was her third trip to the state meet.

Frame made the final in the 100 backstroke and wound up fifth in the NYSPHSAA standings while teammate Kendall Gilbert placed eighth in the 100 breaststroke.

Katherine Ferreira, a sophomore from Bethlehem, took sixth in the 500 with a 5:05.80 and in the 200 IM with a 2:08.06.