Like an overused pool in need of chemical balance, the L-L Swimming League girls' Section Two title race is a little cloudy.

 

Lampeter-Strasburg, needing first and third places in the meet-closing 400-yard freestyle relay, got exactly those results to upend previously undefeated Ephrata, 86-84 in L-L action Thursday.

 

The Pioneers trailed 80-76 heading into the final event, with a disqualification in the meet-opening 200 medley relay costing them third in that event and causing a four-point swing in the team race.

 

The entire meet was intense, with teams trading points as swimmers made moves to grab fifth-place finishes instead of sixths, fourths instead of thirds and moving up however they could to earn precious points for their squads.

 

Kylee Parsons had a standout effort for Ephrata, setting Lampeter-Strasburg YMCA pool records in winning the 200 freestyle (1:59.00) and 100 free (55.72). Parsons also teamed with Brittany Reeder, Katie Zell and Madison Walmer to win the 200 medley relay in 2:02.34, and anchored the 200 free relay squad of Zell, Walmer and Kyra Valent to victory in 1:47.04.

 

Despite Parsons' outing, L-S pulled out the victory with Lily Myers, Kate Rice, Jackie Brubaker and Taylor Grenier going 4:02.00 for the win, and the foursome of Kim Allen, Megan Crutcher, Hayley Caulfeild-James and Morgan Grenier clocking 4:23.21 for third in the 400 free relay. Those finishes allowed L-S to outscore Ephrata 10-6 in that event and provide the final margin in the team scoring.

 

Elijah Myers went 1:04.00 to set the school record in winning the 100 backstroke as the Pioneers topped the Ephrata boys, 103-52. The Mounts' Jon Husson set the pool record by winning the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.53.

 

The girls' result leaves just Cocalico (4-0 L-L, 5-2 overall) with the only unblemished league record heading into the final week of the regular season.

 

The Eagles and Ephrata (3-1, 5-2) meet at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Ephrata Rec Center in the regular-season finale. A Cocalico win would give the Eagles their first Section Two crown.

 

After knocking off the Mountaineers, the Pioneers (4-1, 5-3) now have become big Ephrata fans, since a Mountaineers win over Cocalico would forge a three-way tie for the section crown.

 

Ephrata won the first Section Two title in league history last season, the first year the L-L went to two sections in swimming.