ST. ALBANS — Host St. Albans on Thursday edged the Vergennes Champs, 236-234, in one of the closest Champlain Valley Swim League meets in memory. St. Albans won the final three races of the evening, three freestyle relays, to rally for the two-point victory.
Overall, the Sharks earned a seven-point edge in the relays by winning 10 of 19 contested events, including six of 10 free relay races.
Four Champs won multiple races. Ethan Croke won three 8-and-under boys’ events, Noah Engvall and Adam Clark each won two U-12 boys’ races, and Grace Lebeau prevailed in two U-12 girls’ events.
Champ boys swept the U-8 and U-10 medley and free relays, while Champ girls prevailed in the U-12 and U-14 medley and free relays and the U-18 medley relay.
Next up for Vergennes is the team’s annual duel with county rival Middlebury, which this year is set for at 6 p.m. on Tuesday in the Middlebury town pool. The Champs are set to conclude their regular season by hosting Burlington Country Club on Thursday at 6 p.m.
July 21 and 23 are set aside as rain dates, and the CVSL championship meet is scheduled for Essex on July 24 and 25.
On this past Thursday, the following Vergennes swimmers scored points for their team with top-three finishes in individual events:
BUTTERFLY
• U-8 boys: 1. E. Croke, 23.22.
• U-10 girls: 2. Madelyn Giroux.
• U-10 boys: 2. Calder Rakowski.
• U-12 girls: 1. Lebeau, 35.22; 2. Jordan Jewell.
• U-12 boys: 1. Engvall, 46.28.
• U-14 girls: 2. Leah Croke, 31.74; 3. Emma Beauchemin.
• U-18 girls: 3. Olivia Hawkins.
• U-18 boys: 2. Max Ratti-Bicknell.
BACKSTROKE
• U-8 girls: 3. Eleanor Brooks.
• U-8 boys: 1. E. Croke, 23.21; 2. Will Clark.
• U-10 girls: 2. Carlyn Rapoport.
• U-10 boys: 2. Ian Henderson.
• U-12 girls: 1. Allison Croke, 38.27; 2. Emma Huestis.
• U-12 boys: 1. A. Clark, 45.06.
• U-14 girls: 2. Karyn Kenfield; 3. Alexandra Grant.
• U-14 boys: 3. Robert Kenfield.
• U-18 girls: 2. Alyse Beauchemin.
• U-18 boys: 1. Ratti-Bicknell, 36.56.
BREASTSTROKE
• U-8 girls: 1. Amelia Giroux, 29.88.
• U-8 boys: 1. W. Clark, 25.75.
• U-10 girls: 1. Rapoport, 21.40; 2. M. Giroux.
• U-10 boys: 1. Nate Muzzy, 21.50; 2. Carson Hoffman.
• U-12 girls: 1. Anna Rakowski, 42.65; 2. Lebeau.
• U-12 boys: 1. Engvall; 3. A. Clark.
• U-14 girls: 2. L. Croke; 3. E. Beauchemin.
• U-14 boys: 3. Dylan Rapoport.
• U-18 girls: 2. Hawkins; 3. Sadie Kass.
• U-18 boys: 2. Ratti-Bicknell.
FREESTYLE
• U-8 girls: 2. A. Giroux.
• U-8 boys: 1. E. Croke; 2. Grey Fearon.
• U-10 girls: 2. C. Rapoport.
• U-10 boys: 1. Hoffman, 17.53.
• U-12 girls: 1. Lebeau, 30.76; 2. Rakowski.
• U-12 boys: 1. A. Clark, 37.83; 2. Engvall.
• U-14 girls: 2. L. Croke; 3. E. Beauchemin.
• U-14 boys: 3. R. Kenfield.
• U-18 girls: 2. Hawkins.
• U-18 boys: 2. Ratti-Bicknell.
TEST WINS, 299-185
On July 7, the visiting Town of Essex Swim Team defeated the Champs, 299-185.
Ethan Croke and Ian Henderson paced the Champs with two wins apiece, and Grace Lebeau, Alyse Beauchemin, Carlyn Rapoport, Noah Konczal, Carson Hoffman and Anna Rakowski picked up one victory apiece.
Seven Champ relay teams also touched the wall first.
The U-8 boys’ medley squad of Grey Fearon, Will Clark, Croke and Brody McGuire prevailed in 2:05.72, and the U-8 boys’ free unit of Clark, Fearon, Croke and Reed Grant won in 1:36.75.
The Champ U-10 boys also won both relays. The medley group of Henderson, Konczal, Calder Rakowski and Hoffman won in 1:19.18, and free squad of Henderson, Konczal, Parker Kayhart and Hoffman came in first in 1:10.75.
The Champ U-12 girls swept both of their relay events. In the medley, Allie Croke, Emma Huestis, Anna Rakowski and Lebeau won in 2:23.97, and in the free event, Rakowski, Huestis, Jordan Jewell and Lebeau touched out in 2:05.25.
Finally, the Champ U-12 girls won the free relay in 2:02.37. Swimming were Alyse Beauchemin, Emma Beauchemin, Sadie Kass and Olivia Hawkins.