VERGENNES — The host Vergennes Champs swim team used their greater depth to pull away from the Middlebury Panthers on Thursday, 277.5-172.5, in the Champlain Valley Swim League opener for the county teams and friendly rivals.
In contested individual races in the Vergennes city pool, the Champs held just a 20-19 edge in first-place finishes, while another race resulted in a tie. But the host team not only earned more second- and third-place points, but also dominated the relays.
The medley relays were closer, with the Champs taking four of seven contested age groups. But the smaller Panther team fielded just one freestyle relay unit, a winning 14-and-under girls’ team. That left the pool wide open for the Champs, who already led by 68 points entering the meet-closing free relays, to score seven points in the other seven free relays and stretch their lead.
The Champs were led by Anna Rakowski, who won three 8-and-under girls’ races, and Max Bicknell, who won three U-14 boys’ races. Winning twice for Vergennes were Tucker Stearns, Sam Comai, Alyse Beauchemin and Max Konczal.
Max Moulton sparked the Panthers by winning three U-18 boys’ events, and Thomas Denton, Brianna Foley, Julian Schmitt and Gracie Weinberg won two races each.
On Thursday, scoring points in individual races for the Vergennes and Middlebury teams with top-three finishes were:
BUTTERFLY
•  U-8 girls: 1. Rakowski, V, 19.56; 2. Ivy Doran, M; 3. Nora Wootten, M.
•  U-8 boys: 1. T. Stearns, V, 20.80; 2. Thomas Denton, M; 3. Adam Sausville, V.
•  U-10 girls: 1. Mary Nagy-Benson, M, 15.97; 2. Leah Croke, V; 3. Emma Beauchemin, V.
•  U-10 boys: 1. Spencer Doran, M, 17.75; 2. Jeff Stearns, V; 3. Robbie Bicknell, V.
•  U-12 girls: 1. Annie Bolton, M, 36.75; 2. Sophie Rippner-Donovan, V; 3. Olivia Hawkins, V.
•  U-12 boys: 1. Comai, V, 36.58; 2. Parker Beatty, M; 3. Ethan Sausville, V.
•  U-14 girls: 1. Harper Smith, M, 33.46; 2. Moriah Cushing, V; 3. Weinberg, M.
•  U-14 boys: 1. M. Bicknell, V, 40.81; 2. Burke Weekes, M.
•  U-18 girls: 1. Foley, M, 35.01; 2. Mychaella Devaney, M.
•  U-18 boys: 1. Moulton, M, 29.66; 2. Josh Cook, V.
BACKSTROKE
•  U-8 girls: 1. Rakowski, V, 20.06; 2. Allison Croke, V; 3. Doran, M.
•  U-8 boys: 1. Denton, M, 23.87; 2. Shea McLaren, V; 3. Carson Hoffman, V.
•  U-10 girls: 1. E. Beauchemin, V, 20.06; 2. Izzie Olson, M; 3. Nagy-Benson, M.
•  U-10 boys: 1. Robert Kenfield, V, 20.50; 2. Konczal, V; 3. S. Doran.
•  U-12 girls: 1. A. Beauchemin, V, 37.47; 2. Lucy Orsitti, M; 3. Megan Tarte, V.
•  U-12 boys: 1. Schmitt, M, 40.66; 2. Zeke Palmer, V; 3. Willem Landis, M.
•  U-14 girls: 1. Weinberg, M, 31.93; 2. Smith, M; 3. Eva Kamman, V.
•  U-14 boys: 1. M. Bicknell, V, 42.50; 2. Silas Mullin, V.
•  U-18 girls: 1. Foley, M, 34.59; 2. Samara Sausville, V; 3. Devaney, M.
•  U-18 boys: 1. Cook, V, 35.93; 2. Matteo Palmer, V.
BREASTSTROKE
•  U-8 girls: 1. Wootten, M, 26.38; 2. Ava Konczal, V; 3. A. Croke, V.
•  U-8 boys: 1. Denton, M, 24.90; 2. T. Stearns, V; 3. A. Sausville, V.
•  U-10 girls: 1. Grace LeBeau, V, 23.00; 2. Emma Huestis, V; 3. Grace Tucker, M.
•  U-10 boys: 1. M. Konczal, V, 21.20; 2. J. Stearns, V; 3. Charlie Hodson, M.
•  U-12 girls: 1. Hawkins, V, 40.40; 2. A. Beauchemin, V; 3. A. Bolton, M.
•  U-12 boys: 1. Schmitt, M, 42.70; 2. Comai, V; 3. E. Sausville, V.
•  U-14 girls: 1. Reubie Bolton, M, 36.80; 2. Cushing, V; 3. Kamman, V.
•  U-14 boys: 1. Weekes, M, 41.72; 2. Mullin, V.
•  U-18 girls: 1. Devaney, M, 40.29; 2. Foley, M; 3. S. Sausville, V.
•  U-18 boys: 1. Moulton, M, 34.81; 2. M. Palmer, V.
FREESTYLE
•  U-8 girls: 1. Rakowski, V, 17.46; 2. A. Konczal, V; 3. Wootten, M.
•  U-8 boys: 1. T. Stearns, V, 17.43; 2. McLaren, V; 3. Aidan Chance, M.
•  U-10 girls: 1. L. Croke, V, 15.79; 2. E. Beauchemin, V; 3. Nagy-Benson, M.
•  U-10 boys: 1. M. Konczal, V, 15.47; 2. J. Stearns, V; 3. S. Doran, M.
•  U-12 girls: 1. A. Beauchemin, V, 32.37; 2. S. Rippner-Donovan, V; 3. A. Bolton, M.
•  U-12 boys: 1. Comai, V, and Beatty, M, 31.96; 3. E. Sausville, V.
•  U-14 girls: 1. Weinberg, M, 28.56; 2. Cushing, V; 3. Smith, M.
•  U-14 boys: 1. M. Bicknell, V, 32.15; 2. Mullin, V; 3. Weekes, M.
•  U-18 girls: 1. S. Sausville, V, 29.05; 2. Foley, M; 3. Allyson Stearns, V.
•           U-18 boys: 1. Moulton, M, 26.44; 2. M. Palmer, V; 3. Cook, V.