East RIdge swimming & diving: Raptors fall to Hastings in final two events

The East Ridge girls swimming and diving team held a late lead, but could not hold on in a 90-80 loss to the Raiders at Hastings Middle School on Thursday, Sept 16.

The Raptors held an 18-12 lead after the second event, as Alyssa Kong led a 1-2-4 finish in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:00.50. East Ridge held the advantage for the next four events until Hastings tied the score at 47-47 following the 100-yard freestyle.

Melanie Rabino helped re-claim the lead for the Raptors with a winning time of 5:26.63 in the 500-yard freestyle and the visitors maintained the edge through the third-to-final event, the 100-yard backstroke.

However, Hastings earned the win in that race and also claimed the final two events, the 100-yard breaststroke and the 400-yard freestyle relay, to escape with a ten-point win.

Besides Rabino and Kong’s victories, East Ridge also claimed wins in two other swimming events. Taylor Johnson won the 200-yard individual medley in 2:19.05 and the Raptors’ 200-yard freestyle relay squad of Rabino, Johnson, Kong and Meredith Ubel were also triumphant in 1:43.96.

Costing East Ridge points, if not a meet win, was the lack of a diving competition as the Hastings Middle School does not have an area for diving. The absence of a diving category kept East Ridge’s All-American diver Jenna Karrow on the bench.

“Unfortunately, Hastings does not have a pool that we can logically dive in,” East Ridge diving coach Natalie Bonfig said. “So when the meet is at Hastings, there is no diving.”

Tags: east ridge, cottage grove, sports, swimming, raptors