Boys drown Hornets but girls get stung

At Gaithersburg Aquatic Center on Saturday, Blair's Boys' Swimming dominated the Damascus High School Swarmin' Hornets, but the girls were less successful. The boys won, 102-67, while the girls lost, 111-60.

The girls struggled in part because speedy freshman Kelsey Dean was absent. Senior Leah Cowdrey placed second in 100-yard breaststroke, an event in which she is usually unstoppable. The Blazer girls outscored Damascus in just one swimming event: freshman Diana Frey took second place in 100-yard butterfly, beating out even her older teammates. Frey could prove an integral part of the girls' rebuilding season, but things are not looking good for the girls, since they were blown out by the Hornets, who are not even in Division I.

According to senior co-captain Pete Johnson, the boys knew that victory was secure, so everybody swam two events. Freshman Tyler Wilcheck was touched out for first place in 100 breaststroke, and several other freshmen continued to show promising speed.

Blazer divers took first and second place in both boys' and girls' competitions. Senior co-captains Tom and Pete Johnson placed first and second, respectively, for the boys. The brothers won the event even though their dives were more difficult than the easier dives that they have more experience with. They each completed reverse one-and-a-half dives and double flips.

Junior Elizabeth Finn took first for the girls, and senior Ilene Arnsdorf came in second, even though she was fighting illness. Both girls performed well, each scoring over 130 points. Senior Anita Sanger made her Blair diving debut with a solid score of 73 points. Sanger scored higher than expected on her back flip and reverse somersault.

The Blazers' first real test will come against Whitman High School next Saturday at Martin Luther King Swim Center at 9 a.m.. The Vikings are a notorious Division I powerhouse, and although the girls do not stand a chance, the boys could win by a few points. The boys beat Whitman at Counties last year.