WATERVILLE — More than 20 teams from schools around Maine converged on Colby College on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 21-22 in search of the distinction of being named the best of the best in the state Class B swim championships.
By the meets’ end it was Cape Elizabeth that proved a cut above as the Caper girls claimed the state crown on Tuesday and Caper boys the following day.
Qualifying Belfast pool athletes competed in the meets.
The Lions, individually, were led by Brigham Graf, who motored through the pool and bested 24 competitors to earn the state title in the 50-yard freestyle.
The Belfast boys finished fifth among 20 teams and Searsport boys — who had independent Sebastian Krumbholz, who trains with the Lions — 14th, while the Belfast girls ended ninth among 21 squads.
The girls team scores were: Cape Elizabeth 356, Ellsworth 273, Greely of Cumberland 269, Mount Desert Island of Bar Harbor 240, Morse of Bath 185, Brewer 171, Yarmouth 137, Gardiner/Hall-Dale of Farmingdale 127, Belfast 114, John Bapst of Bangor 57, Wiscasset/Boothbay Region 56, Waynflete of Portland 55, Old Town 45, Freeport 44, Lincoln Academy of Newcastle 21, Westbrook 20, Foxcroft Academy of Dover-Foxcroft 20, Waterville/Winslow 20, Erskine Academy of South China 3, Hyde School of Bath 3 and George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill 1.
The boys team scores were: Cape Elizabeth 355, Mount Desert Island 319, Greely 281, Morse 242, Belfast 192, Ellsworth 172, Waterville/Winslow 123, John Bapst 106, Yarmouth 84, Waynflete 59, Old Town 40, Lincoln Academy 39, Freeport 35, Searsport 23, George Stevens Academy 18, Wiscasset/Boothbay 12, Bucksport 12, Gardiner/Hall-Dale 6 and Westbrook 5.
Student-athletes needed to reach qualifying times to participate in the state meet.
Previously, the Lion girls finished first and boys second at the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championships on Feb. 10.
In regular-season dual-meets, the Lion boys finished 8-1 and girls 7-2.
The individual and relay results for Waldo County swimmers (most from Belfast unless otherwise indicated) were:
Girls
200 medley relay — 10, Belfast (Mia Winslow, Finley Marriner, Laney Sheafe, Greta Graf), 2:08.48
200 free — 14, Sophia Birocco, 2:15.34; 16, Kali-Alexis Daley, 2:18.98; and 22, Savannah Springer, 2:24.03.
200 individual medley — 13, Mia Winslow, 2:36.55; and 15, Abigale Kormann, 2:40.16.
50 free — 10, Danielle Hicock, 27.25; 14, Gabrielle Hoffman, 27.88; 18, Finley Marriner, 28.29; and 20, Greta Graf, 28.76.
100 butterfly — 12, Laney Sheafe, 1:10.43; 16, Eliza Barrett, 1:12.46; and 19, Kali-Alexis Daley, 1:13.60.
100 free — 11, Danielle Hicock, 59.06; 17, Abigale Kormann, 1:01.46; and 19, Gabrielle Hoffman, 1:01.96.
500 free — 10, Sophia Birocco, 6:04.50; and 15, Savannah Springer, 6:21.35.
200 free relay — 7, Belfast (Danielle Hicock, Abigail Kormann, Finley Marriner, Gabrielle Hoffman), 1:51.98.
100 backstroke — 12, Mia Winslow, 1:08.54; 15, Greta Graf, 1:10.83; and 21, Laney Sheafe, 1:12.47.
100 breaststroke — 17, Finley Marriner, 1:19.81; and 24, Eliza Barrett, 1:22.27.
400 FR — 5, Belfast (Danielle Hicock, Abigale Kormann, Sophia Birocco, Gabrielle Hoffman), 4:06.71.
Boys
200 MR — 6, Belfast (Joe Lemon, Adam Tomalty, Tanner Carson, Brigham Graf), 1:47.88.
200 free — 7, Tanner Carson, 1:56.37; and 13, Matthew Levesque, 2:00.87.
200 IM — 7, Sebastian Krumbholz (Sears.), 2:16.08; and 9, Joe Lemon, 2:21.68.
50 free — 1, Brigham Graf, 22.26.
100 fly — 5, Tanner Carson, 56.51; 9, Adam Tomalty, 58.86; and 20, Josiah Howard, 1:12.68.
100 free — 3, Brigham Graf, 48.80; 8, Sebastian Krumbholz (Sears.), 52.23; and 17, Lucas Newsom, 56.33.
500 free — 9, Matthew Levesque, 5:35.82.
200 FR — 6, Belfast (Josiah Howard, Lucas Newsom, Matthew Levesque, Adam Tomalty), 1:42.35.
100 back — 10, Joe Lemon, 1:02.22.
100 breast — 9, Adam Tomalty, 1:10.00; and 14, Lucas Newsom, 1:16.26.
400 FR — 5, Belfast (Joe Lemon, Matthew Levesque, Tanner Carson, Brigham Graf), 3:34.46.
MaineStay Media/VillageSoup sports staff can be reached by email at sports@villagesoup.com.