Swim and dive falls to Barons

GERMANTOWN INDOOR SWIM CENTER, Jan. 26 –

The Blair swim and dive team suffered its first combined loss on Saturday to the Bethesda–Chevy Chase Barons by a score of 181-161, bringing the team's record to 4-1. The still-undefeated boys' team won by a slim margin, 90-81. The girls' team fought hard, with junior Melanie Snail breaking the team record in the 200-yard Freestyle, but eventually lost, 100-71.

The meet opened on a victorious note for the Blazers, with both the boys and the girls taking first in the 200 Medley Relays. The boys' team of junior Andrew McGehee, senior co-captain Eddie Tang, senior Sam Bullard-Sisken and senior co-captain Yang Yang finished first with a time of 1:41.92 and the girls' team of junior Melanie Snail, sophomore Allison Arai, senior co-captain Francesca Blume and freshman Laura McGehee took first with 2:00.94.

But after the first two events, the Blazers lost many first place finishes to key B-CC swimmers, managing to only take second and third place. Andrew McGehee took second in the 200 Free with 1:49.28, and Snail did the same in the girls' 200 Free with 2:05.13, breaking the school record that she set only three meets ago.

The boys took second, third and fourth in the 100 Butterfly, with Bullard-Sisken coming in second a mere 0.38 seconds behind B-CC senior Sam Lough. In the 500 Free, sophomore Jeff Lin and freshman Eric Ruggieri took second and third respectively.

The events of the girls' part of the meets also had similar results. In the 50 Free, Laura McGehee, sophomore Jenna Williams and senior Elissa Fischel took second, third and fourth respectively.

In the Blazers' best event of the meet, the boys destroyed the Barons in the 200-yard IM. Yang, Bullard-Sisken and sophomore Nate Hukill swept the event, taking first, second and third respectively.

Midway through the meet in the diving events, seniors Nik Reineke and Michael Willems took third and fourth behind B-CC's two divers, and junior co-captain Caitlin Ludington and freshman Clair Hoffman placed second and fourth respectively.

The girls scored impressive first place finishes, from Arai in the 200 individual medley with 2:25.41 and the 100 Breaststroke with 1:11.69. Blume took first in the 100 Butterfly as well at 1:06.45.

The boys surged back in the 100 Free, with Yang taking first with 48.78 and freshman Dennis Li placing third with 53.72, but took second and third in the 100 Breast and the 100 Backstroke.

Both the girls and the boys ended the meet with second place finishes in the 400 Free Relay. The boys' team of Lin, Li, junior Ben Shih and Ruggieri finished in 3:41.28.

Coach David Swaney was not surprised by the combined loss. "I would have predicted it ahead of time," he said. "They're faster, we're deeper," he said, recognizing the different strengths of the two teams. "There were lots of ups and lots of downs," he said.

Senior co-captain Tim Peng saw the meet as a close one, but with good competition from B-CC. "There were some good swims, but not many," he said.

Blair's next meet will be held on Saturday, Feb. 2 at the Montgomery Aquatic Center against Einstein at 9:15 a.m.