The Northampton High School swim and dive team traveled to Nazareth on Tuesday, Jan. 21, where the Nazareth Blue Eagles handed the Northampton boys only their second loss of the season by a score of 101-81. The Northampton girls also suffered a loss to Nazareth at a score of 200-165 taking their record this season to 7-4.

Northampton fought valiantly, claiming numerous second-place finishes and a few key firsts. Northampton stayed strong with excellent performances in multiple individual events, keeping the scores close all night. Among these for the boys was a tone-setting first place win from sophomore Logan Saylor in the first individual event of the night, the boys’ 200-yard freestyle event. The girls’ team had a masterful showing in the 500 freestyle event, with a Northampton sweep, including senior Toni Bubier in first, senior Ava Keenan with a strong second, and freshman Sophia Kostik with a solid performance in 3rd.

The relay events exemplified the same mighty spirit, particularly in the final event of the evening, the 400-yard freestyle relay. The girls’ relay team of Bubier, Olivia Kuhns, Sophia Pina, and Amelia Sommons took first place for the girls, and the boys’ team followed with another first-place finish from the relay team of Josiah Hippert, Saylor, Henry Schoeneberger, and Nick Isaac.

In the 1-meter diving event, Northampton’s Bella Kish beat out Nazareth’s Sophia Gorman with the 1st place score of 208.25. Though the Northampton boys’ diving team was uncontested, senior Alex Szeplaki finished first with a score of 219.95.

With a powerful list of individual second-place finishes, Bubier took second in the girls’ 200-yard freestyle, Keenan grabbed second place in the girls’ 200-yard individual medley, Kuhns was second in the girls’ 100-yard freestyle event, and Sommons rounded out a list of solid swims for the girls, placing second in the 100-yard backstroke.

For the boys, Saylor placed second in the 500-yard freestyle, sophomore Nate Scheirer grabbed dual second-place finishes in both the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard breaststroke events, and Josiah Hippert had a pair of second-place finishes in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke events.

The girls’ and boys’ teams both took second place finishes in the 200-yard medley relay, with the girls’ relay team of Sommons, Gabriella Oswald, Kuhns and Keenan and the boys relay team of Hippert, Scheirer, Brody Warner and Andrew Szeplaki. Likewise, the 200-yard freestyle relay teams of Pina, Oswald, Bubier, and Keenan placed second for the girls and the boys relay team of Isaac, Schoeneberger, Warner, and Saylor was also second to the wall.

The Northampton teams continue an exciting swim and dive season next Tuesday evening as the team travels to William Allen High School for their second away meet in a row and the continuing quest by both Northampton teams for a solid winning season.