When Mount de Sales ended McDonogh's unbeaten streak at 51 during the regular season, the Eagles were upset, but they were still confident that they could defend their Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland swimming championship crown.
McDonogh came roaring back at UMBC yesterday by beating Mount de Sales in the A Conference finals, 475-432, for its sixth consecutive title. McDonogh coach Scott Ward said the title was a testament to the seniors on the team who wanted to go out champions.
"We have this tradition where the senior class takes on the responsibility of trying to keep things going," Ward said. "The team came around and realized that to win [the championship], they were going to have to work hard. This is my favorite team because we were rebuilding. But they worked hard from Day One."
McDonogh won seven of the meet's 11 events, including the 200-yard medley relay and 200 freestyle relay. McDonogh's first-place finishers consisted of Rebecca Flora (200 freestyle), Rachael Schaffer (200 individual medley), Brileigh Pinkney (50 freestyle, 100 breaststroke) and Anna Schuster (100 freestyle).
Pinkney knocked off Mattie Riley of Mount de Sales in the 100 freestyle just one week after Riley won that event at the National Catholic High School swim meet championships in Villanova, Pa.
"We were upset that we lost the streak, but we knew we all did our best," Pinkney said. "We knew we were going to get another chance. We knew what we had to do."
Notre Dame Prep finished third with 331 points, followed by St. Mary's (279) and Bryn Mawr (173).
Emily Dean of Mount de Sales won the 100 backstroke. The Sailors also won the 400 freestyle relay.
Notre Dame Prep had two first-place swimmers, Jordan Paavola (100 butterfly) and Maggie Brown (500 freestyle).
In the B Conference, Archbishop Spalding was first with 463 points, followed by Severn (295), John Carroll (278), Seton Keough (245), St. Vincent Pallotti (189), Institute of Notre Dame (187), St. Paul's (138), Roland Park (125) and Catholic High (81).
Spalding won three of the 11 events and the 200 freestyle relay. Colleen Miller won the 50 freestyle, Sarah Edner took first place in the 100 freestyle and Lindsay Magaw won the 500 freestyle.