Published: November 10, 2007 11:21 pm      

HS GIRLS SWIMMING: Locals post strong efforts at Section VI championships

BUFFALO — Niagara Frontier League swimmers from Lockport, Kenmore West and Niagara Falls dominated Saturday’s Section VI girls swimming championships at the Erie Community College Flickinger Center.

The Lady Lions not only featured double individual winner senior Emily Scott (50-yard freestyle, 100 free), they placed first in two relay events, dominated the sprint events and posted two of the top three finishers in the 50-yard freestyle and three of the top-five finishers in the 100 free. Scott qualified for next week’s state meet in not only two individual events, but two relays (200 free, 400 free), as well.

The Blue Devils were led by their super sophomore Marissa Dressel, who also won two events, the 200 free and 500 free.

Lockport won two of the three relay events. Scott, along with seniors Rachel Chapman and Lacey McKenna and junior Caroline Tolli, anchored the winning 200 free relay, which touched first in a state-qualifying time of 1 minute, 40.49 seconds.

“With all the hard work we’ve put in over the years at practices, as a team, everybody deserves to win here,” McKenna said.

The Wolverines of Niagara Falls (senior Hilary York and sophomores Ana Gabiele, Ashley Eddings and Kristen Champoux), swam the race of their careers to place second in 1:43.26. Among other NFL schools, Lewiston-Porter was eighth (1:46.07) with senior Bobbi Jo Tenke, junior Olivia Michaels, sophomore Chelsea O’Laughlin and freshman Lauren Sauvageau; and Kenmore West was 11th in 1:46.05, with Dressel, freshman Alanna Blasting, junior Jill Meacham and eighth-grader Lindsey Sagasta.

The Lady Lions also won the 400 free relay in a state-qualifying time of 3:39.74, with Scott Chapman, senior Laura Bohneberg, Tolli and Scott. The surprise Wolverines were fourth in 3:47.86, with Gabiele, Eddings, Champoux and eighth-grader Emily York.

“We swam much better today than at qualifying on Thursday,” said NFHS head coach Ed Maynard. “We really came to swim today. Our 200 free relay dropped 1.5 seconds off their best time. They brought their game faces on, that’s for sure. With one senior and three sophomores on that relay team, I think it bodes well for next year.”

Kenmore West was fifth in the 400 free in 3:49.58 with Dressel, Meacham, sophomore Leah Villari and freshman Megan Sullivan. Niagara-Wheatfield was 15th in 3:58.67 with seniors Marissa Watroba, Sarah Universal and Ali D’Orsaneo and freshman Marissa Oakey.

“All our girls swam extremely well,” said Blue Devils head coach Carrie Meetze. “I couldn’t ask for a better way to end our season.”

The best NFL finisher in the 200 medley relay was North Tonawanda’s youthful quartet of juniors April Boyer and Haley Cummings and freshmen Staci Czaja and Andi Parish, who placed 11th in 2:00.29. They were followed by the equally youthful Kenmore West (2:00.51) foursome of Villari, fellow sophomore Zoe Palmeri, Sullivan and eighth-grader Haley Rice. Chalking up 14th place in 2:01.36 was the Niagara Falls foursome of York, juniors Cloe LeGault and Alyssa Narkiewicz and eighth-grader Lauren Evans.

Two Lockport seniors posted state qualifying times in the 50 free. Scott, the four-time NFL 50 free champion, won in 24.55 seconds. Southwestern sophomore Madeline Shults was second (:24.79), followed by Chapman (:25.03). In the same event, Niagara Falls’ Gabiele was fifth in :25.56; and two Lewiston-Porter swimmers, O’Laughlin (:25.78) and Tenke (:25.84), finished seventh and eighth, respectively.

In the 100 free, Scott blazed home first in her second individual state qualifying time of :53.83. Chapman was fourth in :55.18, followed by Tolli in fifth in 55.80. NT’s Parish (:56.21) was seventh, Lew-Port’s O’Laughlin (:56.76) was ninth, Niagara Falls’ Eddings (:57.17) was 11th and teammate Champoux (:57.32) was 13th.

Dressel won the 200 free in a state-qualifying time of 1:50.52. Lockport’s Tolli was third in 2:00.54, Niagara Falls’ Champoux was seventh in 2:04.48 and her teammate, York, was 13th in 2:07.30. Also, Niagara-Wheatfield freshman Marissa Oakey was 10th in 2:05.91 and Ken West’s Sagasta was 14th in 2:08.32.

Dressel also won the 500 free in a state-qualifying time of 4:57.46. Niagara-Wheatfield’s Oakey (5:35.70) was fifth, Ken West’s Sagasta (5:38.19) was sixth, Niagara Falls’ Emily York (5:41.44) was 12th; and Lockport junior Megan Murphy (5:41.81) was 13th,

Top local finishers in the 200 individual medley were Lockport’s Bohneberg, fifth in 2:16.83; and Ken West’s Sullivan, 13th in 2:26.14.

Among notable local finishers in the 100 backstroke finals were Niagara-Wheatfield sophomore Alexxa Poliachik, who was ninth in 1:04.95; and Lockport senior Amanda Campbell, who was 13th in 1:07.73. Also, Ken West’s Villari (1:05.45) was 12th, teammate Rice (1:05.55) was 14th. Niagara Falls junior Cloe LeGault (1:06.12) was 15th.

Lockport finished sixth and seventh in the 100 breaststroke with Bohneberg (1:11.13) and sophomore Erica Crane (1:13.67). Ken West was 11th and 13th with Zoe Palmieri (1:13.55) and freshman Megan Sullivan (1:13.80). NT’s Parish was 14th in 1:13.96.