CANTON — For the second consecutive year, the New Albany girls swimming and diving team knew a win in the 400-yard freestyle relay would clinch the Division I state championship.
The difference in this year’s final Feb. 26 at Branin Natatorium was the Eagles knew they were the hunted.
Even so, the results were the same.
The relay of Marisa Downs, Ava Lachey, Carly Meeting and Ashlyn Morr finished first in 3 minutes, 23.86 seconds, .64 of a second ahead of the team chasing them — Upper Arlington — and clinched the Eagles’ second consecutive team title. Powered by wins from Meeting in the 50 free (22.75) and 100 butterfly (53.31) and 10 top-eight finishes overall, New Albany amassed 247 points to edge the runner-up Golden Bears (218) as 50 teams scored.
“We also know what it’s like to lose; we were second my freshman year (in 2020) and we wanted to repeat the winning feeling,” Meeting said. “We were checking the team scores the whole night to see how close it was. We’re thrilled.”
Lachey was second in the 100 free (50.43) and fifth in the 200 free (1:50.14), Morr finished fifth in the 500 free (4:55.81) and sixth in the 200 fee (1:50.68) and Olivia Hovorka was eighth in the 100 fly (56.22).
New Albany also was second in the 200 free relay (1:32.73) and fifth in the 200 medley relay (1:45.31).
Five of the top seven teams were from the area. Dublin Jerome was fourth (160), Gahanna Lincoln fifth (141) and Olentangy seventh (128).
