BATH

After trailing through two days, the Long Reach Swim Club of the Bath Area Family YMCA battled back to win the MSI Junior Olympic Championship at Bowdoin College recently.

In a meet that lasted more than three days, LRSC battled past the Portland Porpoises for the title.

LRSC accumulated 3,758.50 overall points to outdistance the Porpoises, who had 3,310 points, with Mt. Desert Island taking third with 2,588.

Olivia Harper picked up national cut times in the 200- yard backstroke, 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly, Ella Martin had her second cut time in the 100 free and Margie McLeod picked up her first ever national cut in the 50 free for LRSC.

These swimmers join standouts Caitlin Tycz and Ann Tolan on the girls side, along with Haily Harper and Talia Jorgensen, in the National YMCA Championships in Greensboro, N.C., in April.

McLeod was second in the 13-14 girls as top point-earners, while Tycz was second in the senior girls, with Olivia Harper taking sixth.

On the boys side, two relay squads qualified for nationals. Nicco Bartone, Brian Hess, Matthew Yost and Tucker Banger qualified in the 200-medley relay, and in the 200-free relay the team of Hess, Yost, Banger and Max Gurney advanced.

Hess was third overall in the senior boys, with Ben Willertz earning fifth. In the 13-14 boys, Evan Willertz was second and Robby Hyde eighth.