Relays led the way for Northern girls swimming

On a day when they attained a grand sum of one in individual title, the Northern High School girls captured the Maryland 3A/2A/1A state swim championship at the University of Maryland Courtesy to a pair of relays that recorded first-place efforts and another that placed second.

Northern's girls attained 307 points in the state championship meet to finish 50 points clear of runner-up Damascus and 120 ore than fellow Southern Maryland Athletic Conference foe La Plata, which claimed three first-place medals sin individual events, two from standout senior Addy Donnick and another from junior Jadyn Woolsey.

Northern freshman Cedar Gallaudet notched the only first-place medal for the Patriots when she captured the girls' 100-yard butterfly (59.00 seconds), but she was part of two relays that prevailed. In the opening race of the meet, junior Carly Damon, senior Lyla Smith, freshman Cedar Gallaudet and senior Aspen Gallaudet combined to take the 200 medley relay (1:50.14) by nearly two full seconds over a La Plata relay.

"That first relay really set the tone for the whole meet," said Aspen Gallaudet, who anchored that initial relay and is heading to the U.S. Naval Academy this fall. "We knew that La Plata had a really good relay and they've been great competition for us all season."

Then just past the midway point of the meet, with the team title gradually becoming closer at hand for the Patriots, Northern freshman Cedar Gallaudet, senior Mary Kathryn Stum, Smith and Aspen Gallaudet combined to prevail comfortably in the 200 free relay (1:39.43) with Damascus and La Plata finishing second and third, respectively, over two seconds back.

"When we won that 200 free relay then we started to realize that the team title was definitely possible," said Stum, who has already signed her National Letter of Intent to continue her academic and athletic prowess at Randolh-Macon College. "Cedar went out so fast then it was up to me to keep the lead and then Lyla and Aspen really did a great job in the last two legs."

Damon, Smith and Aspen Gallaudet also recorded second-place finishes in individual events for important points and Stum was third in the 100 free. Then in the finale, Damon, sophomore Audrey Randolph, freshman Lily Smith and Stum combined to place second in the 400 free relay (3:47.17) behind a Damascus quartet. But by then the Patriots owned an insurmountable lead over the Montgomery County squad.