Scarborough boys cruise, at record pace
Southwestern Swimming: A formidable Red Storm team turns in a record-setting performance to end Greely’s three-year reign.

From the Portland Press Herald, January 30th 2010

WESTBROOK — Robby Gravel, a senior at Scarborough High, had been here before.

From the crowded balcony above Davan Pool he had watched friends compete in the Southwestern Swimming and Diving Championships. He had soaked up the raucous atmosphere.

On Friday night, he learned what it was like to be in the water.

“I’ve always wanted to be part of the energy of this meet,” said Gravel, a purely club swimmer for the previous decade. “You really can’t match it anywhere else.”

Gravel made the most of his Southwesterns debut, setting two individual records and helping Scarborough erase the oldest mark in the 31-year history of the meet, to lead the Red Storm to a decisive victory Friday night. Scarborough beat runner-up Greely by more than 40 points, 287-246, to end the Rangers’ three-year reign as boys Northern Division champion.

Cheverus, which entered the final relay tied for second with Greely, finished third at 226 followed by Deering (189), Cape Elizabeth (183), host Westbrook (102), South Portland (99) and Falmouth (58).

Gravel, not surprisingly, was named Outstanding Performer of the Meet. The only other individual double winner was his brother, junior Kip Gravel, who won the 100- and 200-yard freestyles.

Jerry Gravel, a freshman, came from behind to win the 100 backstroke and added a fifth in the 200 individual medley.

“I feel like I’m on Family Feud,” said Greely High Coach Rob Hale. “Every time I look up there’s another Gravel.”

So certain was Hale of Red Storm domination, on Thursday he had the rotating team trophy engraved with Scarborough listed as 2009-2010 champion.

Scarborough wasted little time in proving him right. With Kip leading off at backstroke followed by Robby (breast), junior Arthur Hamill (butterfly) and junior Mark Endrizzi (freestyle), the Red Storm erased a mark of nearly three decades in winning the 200 medley relay by seven seconds over runner-up Greely, in 1 minute, 41.50 seconds.

The old mark of 1:42.96 was set by Greely in 1981, second year of the Southwesterns.

“We knew we had a dynamic medley relay team,” said first-year coach Sean Flaherty, a former Red Storm swimmer whose name still hangs from the Davan Pool record board. “We figured let’s go after that first one and set the tone for the meet.”

After Kip Gravel won the first individual event, the 200 freestyle, by less than half a second over Cheverus sophomore Cal Rohde, Robby came back and smashed another long-standing record, the 200 individual medley mark of 1:58.10 set by Robert Ley of Cheverus in 1991.

Gravel touched the wall in 1:57.97 Friday night, more than seven seconds ahead of runner-up Patrick Bowden of Greely.

With competitors allowed three events – one fewer than at states and regular-season meets – Robby Gravel had one more turn in the pool. Following a lengthy pause to complete diving, he took the plunge for the 100 butterfly, shooting for the mark set by a future world champion named Ian Crocker, who swam 52.83 in 1997 as a freshman at Cheverus.

Gravel got it, slowly pumping his left fist while savoring 52.43 in fluorescent yellow on the black scoreboard.

“After you finish a race like that,” he said, “you see the time and you forget how tired you are.

“I’ve heard stories about how Southwesterns is the best meet of the year, and it’s true. They’re not as big as states, but it gets so loud in here and everyone is so close to the pool. I was swimming underwater and I could hear people yelling. It’s crazy.”

Two of the tightest races of the night came in the 500 free – with Rohde coming from behind on the final lap to edge Westbrook senior Derek Hawkes, 4:58.68 to 4:59.00 – and the 100 breast – with Greely senior Patrick Bowden holding off a fast-closing Hawkes by four hundredths of a second, in 1:04.22.

The 50 free and 100 back were also close. Cheverus senior Cameron Lindsley won the sprint by a tenth in 23.27 over Cape Elizabeth sophomore Marcus Cloutier. Jerry Gravel rallied in the back homestretch to catch Greely senior John Madeira by two tenths in 57.88.

Deering senior Brian McRae defended his diving title with a score of 347.85. No other diver surpassed 290.

In the freestyle relays, Cape Elizabeth won the 200 and Greely took the 400 to secure the runner-up trophy.

“We didn’t think too much about the score,” said Flaherty, whose team held a cushion of at least 20 points from the second event onward. “The kids swam their best events and that’s what happened.”

Staff Writer Glenn Jordan can be contacted at 791-6425 or at: gjordan@pressherald.com