NORWICH – After starting the season off with an undefeated record, the Norwich swim team has lost three straight meets. However, those meets have been close in score and against some of the top teams in Section IV.

Tuesday night, the Lady Purple Tornado swam against Maine-Endwell and lost in a close one, 99-84. Norwich gave the Spartans 13 points in the diving event as the Tornado have no divers on the team.

“The girls did a really great job in this meet,” said Tornado head coach Saundra Gantt. “We had them until diving and unfortunately, with two of our swimmers sidelined and a few who couldn’t swim in certain events, holes were made in our line-up. That allowed them the win.”

Norwich placed first in six events and had several other races where a swimmer took second. Some of the Norwich girls even had their best times in the events they swam.

The Purple Tornado started off the meet the right way, taking the 200 yard medley relay as Abby Hansen, Kaitlyn Blaisure, Margie Winter and Angela Carlson swam a time of 1:58.05 for first. The finish by the group was over two seconds better the Spartans and the home team was looking to set the tone early.

The first place finishes then went back-and-forth throughout the meet. Maine-Endwell won the 200 yard freestyle event by Norwich’s Haley Shattuck kept her team close by coming in second.

Winter and Hansen helped the home team with a 1-2 finish in the 200 individual medley relay as the senior swimmer touched the wall less than a second earlier than her teammate.

The Tornado’s Blaisure and Carlson then placed 2-3 in the 50 yard freestyle, finishing behind M-E’s Maria Pignatelli.

Winter and Carlson both answered Maine-Endwell’s 13 points won from diving with back-to-back event wins in the 100 yard butterfly and the 100 yard freestyle event. Hansen and Burton also aided in keeping the meet score close as the two went 2-3 in the 500 yard freestyle.