Kingston rallies to beat Newburgh in OCIAA meet
Kingston High rallied from an early deficit to swim past Newburgh Free Academy, 97-89, in an Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association girls swimming and diving meet.
Kingston High rallied from an early deficit to swim past Newburgh Free Academy, 9789, in an Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association girls swimming and diving meet.
The (7-1) Tigers trailed 30-16 after three events, but a sweep in the 50-yard freestyle by Taylor Robey (25.99 seconds), Emily Hakim and Helen Wunderlich closed the gap and got Kingston going.
“The meet was a tale of two halves,” Kingston coach Chris Sammons said. “We certainly didn’t want to start out that way, but the 50 free definitely charged the girls up and then going 3 (Julia Stinemire), 4 (Jalynn Harrison) in diving was big. We felt like we were back in it.
“We just kept chipping away.”
Robey’s victory in the seventh event — the 100 freestyle (57.15) — closed the deficit to 56-54 before Alli Mitchell’s win in the 500 freestyle (5:46.97) helped the Tigers pull into a 63-63 tie with four events remaining.
Hakim, Wunderlich, Robey and Alexa Peck put Kingston in front for good with their win in the 200 freestyle relay (1:48.01) and Bailey Shaffer’s win two races later in the 100 breaststroke (1:16.14) gave the Tigers an 89-83 lead heading into the final event.
“We knew we would either have to win the 400 free relay or place second and third to win, or else we’d wind up in a tie,” Sammons said.
Hakim, Mitchell, Wunderlich and Isabella Amaro won the 400 free relay in 3:59.06, with Wunderlich swimming the anchor leg and outtouching Newburgh to win by .07 seconds.
“Helen had her best swim of the year,” Sammons said.
Allie Vela led the Goldbacks with wins in the 200 individual medley and 100 butterfly. Ashley German (200 freestyle), Danielle Scarano (diving) and Sydney Reede (100 backstroke) added one individual win each.
“It’s always nice to get a win against Newburgh,” Sammons said. “KingstonNewburgh has always had a long tradition in every sport. We’ve got the better of them in the dual meets the past few years and they’ve got the better of us in the championships.
“I tell the girls to look at them, they’re just like us. You know it’s going to be hard meet. They’re going to work hard, like us.”
Kingston travels to Montgomery to face Valley Central next Wednesday.