Before the final event of the day, the 400 Freestyle, Andover was beating arch-rival Exeter by only 3 points, 87-84. In order for Andover to win the meet and preserve its undefeated season, they had to place at least second and third place in the relay.?? With second, fourth, and fifth finishes, however, Andover was unable to fight off the Exeter swimmers in a painfully close 94-91 loss.?? With this pressure on the relay teams, the girls knew they had to swim with every bit of energy they had left. As the swimmers took off for the last event of the day, Exeter took the immediate lead, with Andover’s A relay right behind.?? After an epic battle for third place, Exeter just out-touched Andover’s B team to win the match. Exeter finished the relay first and third, while the Andover relay team of Kristen Faulkner ’11, Lexi Moroney ’11, Salena Casha ’09, and Peyton Morss ’10 took second.?? The meet represented the two best girls swim teams in the league, as both Andover and Exeter came into Wednesday with undefeated season records. The rivals will compete again next weekend at Interschols, in what is sure to be another exciting match-up.?? “Exeter got us today,” said Faulkner. “But we are going to come back stronger and better than ever and get those points back at Interschols.”?? Andover diving had an amazing meet, taking first, second and fourth places. Kendall MacRae ’11 had a score of 250.30, taking first place and earning a new pool record. MacRae missed the school record by just 1.2 points, which was set in 1985.?? Captain Emily Johnson ’10 earned second with 237.00 points and Whitney Glick ’11 placed fourth with 206.95.?? In the fourth event of the day, Andover took the lead for the first time as Morss, Alanna Waldman ’10, and Moroney took second, third and fourth places in the 50 Freestyle with times of 25.74, 25.96, and 26.06, respectively.? With Andover in the overall lead, Captain Annie Glancy ’09 placed second to an Exeter opponent in the 100 Butterfly with a time of 1.01.75 while Greta Martin ’09 received her best time of the season with 1.03.60.?? Later in the meet, Allie Hall ’10 won the 500 Freestyle by over four seconds in a time of 5.15. 96. Faulkner placed third, out-touching by Exeter by only milliseconds, and Molly Levene ’12 placed sixth.?? The 200 Freestyle team of Moroney ’11, Waldman, Levene ’12, and Morss also won the event. Exeter, however, refused to go away. With the lead dwindled down to three points, Exeter secured the victory in the 200 Freestyle, the last event.
