The upside for Freedom swimmers in hosting a powerhouse like Emmaus is that it provides stiff competition for the Pates, which produce some best times and a share of top finishes despite the Patriot girls team loss, 116-62, and a team loss for the Patriot boys, 95-61.

Another plus for the Pates in last Tuesday’s swim meet was an opening event, momentum win for the Freedom foursome of Andrew Ehret, AJ Black, Luke McClure, and Ryan Rummel in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:47.27.

McClure went on to place second in the 200 IM in 2:18.87, and second in the 100 butterfly in 59.48.

Deb Belen also had two second place finishes for Freedom, one in the 50 freestyle in 27.47 and another in the 100 free in 1:01.71.

Because the Patriots have no divers this year, Emmaus was able to gain 13 points in the diving event, covering first, second, and third places.

Freedom’s Aliah Corrado just missed first place in the 100 fly with a time of 1:08.03, out touched by Emmaus’s Georgia Magditch in 1:07.99.

Rummel came in third in the 100 free, missing second place by just half a second to Emmaus’s Jack Niggel who finished the race in 56.25.

Ehret scored top points for the Patriot boys when the Freedom senior won the 500 free in 5:01.67 and the 100 backstroke in 54.78.

The Patriots will have hosted East Stroudsburg North on Tuesday, past Press deadlines, before traveling across the road to Moravian Academy for an out-of-conference meet on Saturday morning.