Dialog reporter
WILMINGTON – Eighth-grader Grace Smith won two individual events and was part of a winning relay team as Ursuline won its second dual meet in as many days. The defending state champion Raiders took care of Tatnall, 106-67, on Feb. 18 at the H. Fletcher Brown Boys & Girls Club in Wilmington.
Smith showed her dominance in the distance events. She won the 200-yard individual medley and 500-yard freestyle, and she was also a member of the winning quartet in the 400-free relay.
Ursuline opened the meet by taking the 200-medley relay, with the team consisting of Abigail Poole, Sophia McAneny-Droz, Allison Thomas and Erin McGrellis. Poole was an individual winner later in the meet, capturing the 100-yard backstroke. Thomas wrapped up her leg in the medley relay and went into the next event, the 200-free, and won that.
McAneny-Droz was on the 200-free relay team with Anna Garcia, Rylee McGonigle and Thomas, and Garcia and Thomas bookended the 400-free relay around Smith and Poole. McGonigle also had an individual win in the 100-free, while Poole captured the 100-backstroke.
Tatnall took back-to-back events early in the meet to climb back into contention. Katie Mariner sprinted her way to a win in the 50-free, and Emily Murray followed her in the 100-butterfly. By the time Maddie Hoban touched first in the 100-breaststroke, the Raiders had the meet firmly in hand.
Ursuline, which had defeated Delaware Military Academy on Tuesday, improved to 4-0 in dual-meet action. The Raiders travel to Middletown to meet St. Andrews on Saturday at 2 p.m.
The Hornets fell to 1-5 and will swim against Wilmington Friends on Tuesday at 3:45 p.m. at the Hicks Anderson Community Center.
