Down on the scoreboard at about the halfway point of the meet, the Lady Bisons topped the final six events to pick up the win.

"We tried to put a lineup in that if they swam well they had the potential to win," Clearfield head coach Jackie Morrison said. "Some teams you don't match up well with, but I think we matched up well."

Sophomore Ashley Durandetta had the most dramatic performance of the evening, using the last 25 yards in the 100 backstroke to erase the gap before pushing herself to victory by a hundredth of a second over Bellefonte's Emily Scordato.

"Super finish," Morrison said. "And in backstroke, finishes are crucial because you can't see ... you don't have that vision of the wall. You just have a feeling and you're counting you're strokes and you're praying that you're counting correctly.

"She just got real aggressive, instead of getting complacent at the end and cautious. That was the difference. I'm not sure she was winning the race until that last stroke."

The effort denied Scordato her second win of the meet, after she took first in the 200 free.

"They (Bellefonte) have some good girl swimmers," Morrison said. "Their top girls - Kayla Schnars, Emily Scordato - they're excellent swimmers.

"We just have a couple more girls stepping up, and that's what we've been waiting for. Marisa (Howell) and Branda (Smeltzer) have been keeping us moving forward, and I think their leadership has helped tremendously in getting the other girls to step up. ... I think it's going to be ‘the sky's the limit' from here."

One of the other girls elevating her performance was Brandie Centi, who led the team with four wins - two individual and two relay. Centi, pushed by teammate Howell, took first in the 100 freestyle (58.09) as the two girls locked up the top two spots in the race. She also surged to a victory in the 50 free with a time of 26.55.

"Brandie has had two breakout meets in a row," Morrison said.

Centi added team wins in the 200 free relay alongside Smeltzer, Durandetta and Howell and in the 400 free relay with Smeltzer, Howell and Kaylee Bowser.

Smeltzer was uncontested in bringing home the top spot in the 500 free, while Juliana Mellgard continued to build on an impressive freshman season with a victory in the 100 breaststroke, finishing in 1:23.03 and topping the next finisher by three seconds.

"I think what they're learning is to swim under pressure," Morrison said. "They've been under pressure every week. Nothing's been easy for them."

The boys' victory was never in doubt, taking control from the first race and swimming strong until the very end. In fact, the only race they weren't triumphant in was one they still touched the wall first, winning the 400 free relay but not swimming for points.

The night was punctuated by Mark Krchnak's finish in his signature event, the 100 breast. Krchnak re-set his own pool record - established earlier this season - by half a second, notching a win in 1:00.17

"My main concern for him is to keep him healthy," Morrison said. "It's hard for me to get him to conserve energy because he's an energetic kid, but he's got a bright outlook coming up in about a month-and-a-half (at states) for him. Just stay focused on the big picture."

The meet was marked by a number of contributors, though, with six different swimmers notching either individual or relay wins.

"That's a coach's dream - when you have many, many people coming through, not just a couple," Morrison said. "We're really happy with the entire boys team. We don't really have anybody in there that's not working really hard."

Krchnak added to his win total by taking first in the 200 IM (2:03.66), and fellow senior leader Shay Flanagan found the winner's circle in the 200 free (1:50.54) and 100 free (50.29). He did not swim in his best event, the 500 free. Instead, Brady Mulhollem took home first in that event, swimming a 5:17.97.

After Durandetta made a show of the 100 back for the girls, Kraig Peterson posted a comeback of his own in the same event, charging hard and using the final turn to grit out a half-second win. Peterson also charged hard to victory after a slow start in the 100 fly.

Not to be outdone, Justin DeCasper overcame a mediocre start off the block to edge out teammate Connor Shirey in the 50 free.

The 200 medley relay team (Flanagan, Krchnak, Shirey, DeCasper) and 200 free relay team (Krchnak, Peterson, Mulhollem, Shirey) both pulled out wins. Flanagan, Peterson, Mulhollem and DeCasper beat the field in the 400 free relay but did not officially submit a time.

Clearfield showed its stuff on the diving board, as well, controlling the podium with a win on the girls' side for freshman Sarah Lowder (165.75) and on the boys' side with Steven Williams (230.05).

The boys remain undefeated at 6-0, while the girls push their record to 4-2.

The entire team will face a stiff test when it travels to State College on Wednesday.

Boys

Clearfield 119, Bellefonte 54

200 MR: 1. Clearfield (Flanagan, Krchnak, Shirey, DeCasper), 1:46.44. 200 Free: 1. Flanagan, C, 1:50.54; 2. Lidgett, B; 3. Mulhollem, C. 200 IM: 1. Krchnak, C, 2:03.66; 2. Benson, B; 3. Fisher, C. 50 Free: 1. DeCasper, C, 24.27; 2. Shirey, C; 3. Grasser, B. Diving: 1. Williams, C, 230.05; 2. Lauder, C; 3. Brzezinski, C. 100 Fly: 1. Peterson, C, 58.25; 2. Wilt, B; 3. Shirey, C. 100 Free: 1. Flanagan, C, 50.29; 2. Lidgett, B; 3. DeCasper, C. 500 Free: 1. Mulhollem, C, 5:17.97; 2. Renaud, C; 3. Lansberry, C. 200 FR: 1. Clearfield (Krchnak, Peterson, Mulhollem, Shirey), 1:38.80. 100 Back: 1. Peterson, C, 1:00.79; 2. Grasser, B; 3. Baas, C. 100 Breast: 1. Krchnak, C, 1:00.17; 2. Benson, B; 3. Fisher, C. 400 FR: 1. Bellefonte, 4:08.01.

Girls

Clearfield 104, Belleftone 76

200 MR: 1. Bellefonte, 2:06.80. 200 Free: 1. Scordato, B, 2:12.14; 2. Smeltzer, C; 3. Ivcic, B. 200 IM: 1. Schnars, B, 2:25.79; 2. Howell, C; 3. Durandetta, C. 50 Free: 1. Centi, C, 26.55; 2. Lorenzo, B; 3. Tressler, B. Diving: 1. Lowder, C, 165.75; 2. Pizzella, C. 100 Fly: 1. Schnars, B, 1:07.33; 2. Bowser, C; 3. Lumadue, C. 100 Free: 1. Centi, C, 58.09; 2. Howell, C; 3. Rockey, B. 500 Free: 1. Smeltzer, C, 6:07.81; 2. Bowser, C; 3. Ivicic, B. 200 FR: 1. Clearfield (Centi, Smeltzer, Durandetta, Howell), 1:48.93. 100 Back: 1. Durandetta, C, 1:09.86; 2. Scordato, B; 3. Rockey, B. 100 Breast: 1. Mellgard, C, 1:23.03; 2. Grieb, B; 3. Pollick, B. 400 FR: 1. Clearfield (Centi, Smeltzer, Bowser, Howell), 4:06.09.