Lions are kings of the water
Lincoln, Cumberland look strong in pool
LINCOLN – Before the Mount St. Charles’ girls’ squad took to the MacColl Field YMCA pool to battle favored Lincoln High on Thursday afternoon, head coach Bill Evans had a special message for his bunch.
“He told us he thought the meet would close, and he told me specifically he needed me to win the events I was swimming,” stated freshman Frankie Arnold. “I didn’t mind, and it didn’t stress me out. It actually was more of a motivator for me. I knew I could do it.
“I’ve been swimming for a really long time – since I was six,” she added. “I love swimming high school because it’s more of a team thing. When I swim for my club team (the USA Swimming, Inc.-affiliated Kingfish out of Medfield, Mass.), it’s much more serious, so this is more fun.”
Arnold more than did her part, capturing the 200-yard freestyle (2:08.95) and 500-yard freestyle (5:50.45) after joining senior Emi English, sophomore Nonnie Komon and senior Rachel Breitenbach on the winning 200 medley relay (2:16.31).
It nevertheless wasn’t enough to stop the Lions, who won seven of the final nine races to escape with a 53-40 verdict – and improve to 5-1 in Division II action.
After Arnold’s initial individual triumph, LHS sophomore Anna Vygoder nailed down wins in the 200 individual medley (PR of 2:32.00) and 100 breaststroke (1:18.59), and also teamed with classmate Amanda Allen, senior co-captain Natalie Westrick and junior co-captain Lily Jacobson on the victorious 200 freestyle relay (1:52.96).
Actually, she also joined Allen, Westrick and frosh Melissa Pierce on the first-place 400 freestyle relay (4:19.18).
Pierce contributed a win in the 100 butterfly (1:06.16), as did junior Emma Gianetti in the 100 freestyle (1:06.16).
“They definitely were stronger this year than last,” Jacobson stated. “They have an incredible team, one with so much spirit and energy. It’s always great to be going against a team that really gets into it. They put up a great fight.”
Stated head coach Tom DiIorio: “Before the meet started, I had all the events and the kids who were swimming them planned; in fact, a couple of them looked at the first few events and said, ‘Hey, Coach, did you screw up? How come our fastest kids aren’t swimming?’ I just looked at them and smiled, ‘I know what I’m doing.’
“But then the (Mount 200 medley relay team of English, sophomore Nonnie Komon, Arnold and senior Rachel Britenbach) won, and Frankie took the 200 free,” he added, shaking his head. “I was thinking, ‘Do I know what I’m doing? “They had me worried for a bit.” The concern didn’t last long, either for the boys or girls competitions. His male Lions, who after the 100 butterfly trailed, 25-19, grabbed firsts in the next six races to clinch a 51-39 verdict.
“I knew I was going to load the last four or five events with my fastest people,” he said. “That’s what put us over the top. Bill didn’t have his horses available – or the number of swimmers he needed – down the stretch.”
Lincoln’s girls slowly began to pull away after Arnold won the 500 freestyle, but “birthday girl” Westrick placed runner-up in 5:56.54.
Just like the gals’ meet, Mount’s boys came out flying. The 200 medley relay quartet of junior Zac Robinson and seniors Dawson Danneker, Zack Dubosky and Sebastian Toledo posted the top spot in 2:02.03, and the “B” team nailed down third.
Toledo and Ryan Breitenbach finished first and third in the 200 freestyle; and Dubosky snatched the 200 IM (2:12.37) to give MSC a 1610 advantage.
Lincoln junior Jack Charbonneau reigned in the 50 freestyle (26.95), yet Robinson and Noah Tiberio recorded runner-up and third. And, in the 100 butterfly, frosh Charlie London eked out a win in the 100 fly with a 57.37 clocking, but Dubosky was a mighty tight second (57.92) and Poisson third as the Mounties remained in front, 25-19.
That began to change when junior Derrick Nault and sophomore Ben Goho placed Nos 1 and 3 in the 100 freestyle – and London and senior co-captain Ryan Fleming swept the top two spots in the 500 freestyle. London swam a solid time of 5:48.49, while Fleming earned a season-best 6:01.22.
The Lions had regained the lead at 30-28, then cushioned it when the 200 freestyle relay of Brown, Goho, London and Nault took first (1:41.68); Brown cruised in the 100 backstroke (1:02.52); and junior Jack Charbonneau did the same in the 100 breaststroke (1:13.19).
“I loaded the first few events in both meets hoping it would get us going and we could jump out to a lead, which is just what we did,” Evcans stated. “I knew the only way we could win would be to start fast and try to maintain the lead. Once we did, if we took seconds and thirds, we’d keep it even, but I also wanted to win all three relays.
“The difference was,” he added with a wry smile,” is Tom loaded up on the back end, and I didn’t have the numbers to overcome that … Still, we competed with them; even when we didn’t get a personal-best time, our kids put up a fight for seconds and thirds. “They were just too deep.” Both Mount teams fell to 1-4 in league action.