BANGOR -- Anya Heiden felt good about her Deering/Portland co-op swim team's chances in the Class A girls state championship meet when she got on the bus late Monday morning to make the trip to Bangor.

"I got on the bus, and there was so much laughter and so much supportive energy. That's when I knew, we've got it," Heiden said. "We sang the entire path of the bus ride. We just wanted to show everyone what our team culture was like, because that's our most important asset."

While the RamDogs didn't win a single event, they piled up points in almost every race at Husson University, and that was the key to ensuring their second consecutive Class A title.

Deering/Portland finished with 285 points, well ahead of Falmouth's 256. The Mt. Ararat/Brunswick co-op placed third with 209.

Deering/Portland set the tone early, placing third in the opening 200-yard medley relay. The RamDogs followed that with 32 points in the 200 freestyle, with freshman Amerlia MacDonald in seventh place and Heiden in eighth. Then they added 35 points in the 200 individual medley, with freshman Breen Whelan pacing the team in third place.

Portland/Deering's highest individual finish went to MacDonald, who was second in the 500 freestyle. The RamDogs knew their edge in depth could be the biggest factor in the meet.

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"That's what our coaches have been saying to us over the last two weeks. We did a lot of visualizing of these races. Our depth and our gelling as a team led us to this victory," said senior Kaia West.

Thornton Academy's Kenzie Shields, a sophomore, was named Swimmer of the Meet after winning the 200 IM (2:12.25) and 500 free (5:11.91).

"I just wanted to push myself and try my best," Shields said of her effort in the 500, a race she won by 27 seconds.

On Friday, Falmouth's Jillian Johnson set a state record in 1-meter diving, scoring 541.10 points.

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