As the interscholastic season approaches the halfway mark of the dual-meet season, several area swimmers recorded impressive performances in recent racing.
Ellsworth’s Talor Hamilton finished the 200 free in 1 minute, 46.3 seconds in his team’s win against Hampden.
Bangor sophomore Colby Prouty finished under 60 seconds in the 100 breaststroke (58.9) in a meet against Mount Desert Island, and in the 200 individual medley, MDI’s Lydia DaCorte finished in 2:18.7 for a win against Bangor.
Kyle Adams, a Bangor Rams diver, became the first diver in 2015-16 to score 300 points in 1-meter diving totaling 301.25 points.
In Old Town, coach David Ploch has assembled the Class B boys’ second fastest 200 free relay (1:33.5), less than a second behind Class B leader Ellsworth. However, Cheverus of Portland’s’ relay team has the distinction of recording the state’s fastest performance and the only clocking under 90 seconds at 1:28.6.
Mainers record strong collegiate efforts
David Smallwood, in his second year of racing for Worcester Polytechnic Institute, won the 200 freestyle (1:46.5) in WPI’s Saturday victory over Roger Williams and Bridgewater State. The former Bangor High swimmer’s final 50 (26.8) pushed him to the front of the field and the win. Earlier in the week, Smallwood swam the butterfly (23.2) in WPI’s 200 medley relay (1:35.5) win at Pomona Pitzer.
In Tallahassee, Mount Desert’s Leila Johnston, swimming for Florida State, finished second in the 100-yard butterfly (56.3) in FSU’s loss to the University of Louisville, ranked fifth in Division I.
Brewer’s Josh Williams and the Boston College Eagles resume dual-meet action this week against nationally ranked Harvard. The BC junior earned a spot on the Eagle record board when he swam the backstroke leg on the Eagles’ record-setting 1:31.8 200 medley relay during first semester competition.
Three U.S. swimmers set for international hall
Among the 16 inductees scheduled for induction later this year into the International Swimming Hall of Fame are three Americans, including swimmers Aaron Peirsol and Dara Torres along with coach Bob Bowman.
Peirsol, a backstroker, won five golds in the Olympics, and Torres represented America in five Olympics, collecting 12 medals, including three silvers won at age 41.
Bowman, who trains Michael Phelps, has been named the 2016 U.S. Olympic men’s coach and presently coaches Arizona State after a highly successful tenure at Maryland’s North Baltimore Aquatic Club.