Blue Mountain’s swim teams showed why they’re at the head of the class in a Schuylkill League meet on Thursday afternoon.

The Eagles rang up a pair of victories over host Tamaqua.

The Blue Mountain girls aced their test, splish-splashing their way to a 122-59 victory in a battle of unbeatens. Meanwhile, the heavily-favored Eagles boys team also earned high marks in a 137-40 win.

“We’re a fairly young team,” said Tamaqua coach Jen Paisley. “But what I liked from both our girls and boys teams is the way we’re competing. I’ve watched us grow at a steady pace all season. We are getting better in our times.

“The hard work shows more than the score does. If we continue to cut those times down, it will help us grow stronger and become better. We still have regular season meets, we have the all-league meet, and we have districts to look forward to.”

Where most of the pre-meet excitement was being generated from was the girls meet, as both teams entered at 3-0 in the Schuylkill League.

The Eagles (4-0, 7-1), a perennial power, lived up to their reputation and displayed dominance by capturing first place in all eight individual events. Blue Mountain also won two of the three relay events.

Tamaqua’s lone swimming victory came in the 400 freestyle relay where the group of Sherry Kayla, Madelyn Jones, Sarah Maue and Brianna Dumond had a glittering time of 4:16.80, well ahead of the Blue Mountain time of 4:27.78.

“Our four swimmers in that event just keep on improving each and every time they get to race,” said Paisley. “If we keep cutting those times down, who knows where they can go. But I like what I’ve seen of them so far this season.”

Another bright spot for the Raiders came in the 1-meter diving event, where Ashley Jones (171.55) took first place and teammate Tressa Barron (138.8) finished third.

Blue Mountain was buoyed by Sara Zimmerman, Jacqueline O’Neill and Olivia Haas. All three swimmers scored big throughout the meet, in individual and relay events.

It was the same story in the boys meet as Blue Mountain (4-0, 8-0) swept the swimming events. The Eagles were led by Ty Rabenstein, who captured two individual events and was also a part of two winning relay teams.

The bright side for Tamaqua was once again in the diving competition, where Billy Shilko turned in a superb performance. The Raider senior had a 294.6 score — just 26 points away from the school record. Raider teammate Billy Frederick finished second.

“Phenomenal,” was the word Tamaqua diving coach Maryann Shilko used in describing the performance by the Raider divers during the meet. “We did very well overall. A couple of mishaps on the doubles, but we’ll work on them.”

WIN STREAK ... The Blue Mountain girls have now won 44 straight in Schuylkill League competition.

INDEPENDENT SWIMMERS ... Several independent swimmers took part in the meet to help establish qualify times for districts. Among the top performers from that group were Panther Valley’s Jacqui Kokinda and Emily Newton and Palmerton’s Carson Allen. Kokinda had the best time of all competitors in both the girls 200 freestyle (2:09.93) and 100 butterfly (1:04.59), while Newton had the bets time in the girls 100 breaststroke (1:11.58). The Bombers’ Allen had the top times in the boys 100 freestyle (:53.04) and 100 breaststroke (1:11.31).

BOYS

Blue Mountain 137, Tamaqua 40

200 relay - 1. Blue Mountain 1:54.18 (Ty Rabenstein, Derrick Yuengling, Keith Elliot, Andrew Johnson), 2. Tamaqua, 3. Blue Mountain; 200 freestyle - 1. Derrick Yuengling (BM) 2:04.00, 2. Tabor Perry (BM), 3. Robert Hudepohl (BM); 200 IM - 1. Ty Rabenstein (BM) 2:12.16, 2. Nathan Powers (BM), 3. Torin Perry (BM); 50 freestyle - 1. Andrew Johnson (BM) 24:29, 2. Zeno Zukovich (T), 3. Greg Rautzhan (BM); 1-meter dive - 1. Billy Shilko (T) 294.60, 2. Bill Frederick (T), 3. Jackson Mabry (BM); 100 butterfly - 1. Sean Sopko (BM) 1:04.01, 2. Gauge Hartney (T), 3. Mkolas Barbe (BM); 100 freestyle - 1. Keith Eliot (BM) 55:02, 2. Tabor Perry (BM), 3. Logan Stein (BM), 500 freestyle - 1. Greg Rautzhan (BM) 5:52.11, 2. Logan Stein (BM), 3. Gavin Fry (BM); 200 freestyle relay - 1. Blue Mountain 1:33.66 (Derrick Yuengling, Nate Powers, Ty Rabenstein, Andrew Johnson), 2. Blue Mountain, 3. Blue Mountain; 100 backstroke - 1. Keith Elliot (BM) 1:02.52, 2. Mikolas Barbe (BM), 3. Chase Rehrig (BM); 100 backstroke - 1. Robert Hudepohl (BM) 1:16.90, 2. Torin Perry (BM), 3. Nate Powers (BM); 400 freestyle relay - 1. Blue Mountain 3:47.84 (Nate Powers, Sean Sopko, Tobor Perry, Keith Elliot), 2. Blue Mountain, 3. Tamaqua.

GIRLS

Blue Mountain 122, Tamaqua 59

200 relay - 1. Blue Mountain 2:01.46 (Mallorie Dukmen, Sara Zimmerman, Oliva Haas, Jacqueline O’Neill), 2. Blue Mountain, 3. Tamaqua; 200 freestyle - 1. Katherine Sarnes (BM) 2:42.38, 2. Sara Zimmerman (BM), 3. Madelyn Jones (T); 200 IM - 1. Morgan Yuengling (BM) 2:27.18, 2. Maria Lopez (BM), 3. Sarah Maue (T); 50 freestyle - 1. Oliva Haas (BM) 26.85, 2. Jacqueline O’Neill (BM), 3. Sherry Kayla (T); 1-meter dive - 1. Ashley Jones (T) 171.55, 2. Kaitlyn Reber (BM), 3. Tressa Barron (T); 100 butterfly - 1. Oliva Haas (BM) 1:06.42, 2. Maria Lopez (BM), 3. Brianna Dumond (T); 100 freestyle - 1. Jacqueline O’Neill (BM) 58:22, 2. Mallorie Dukmen (BM), 3. Nico Aguero-Ramirez (T); 500 freestyle - 1. Katherine Sarnes (BM) 5:42.01, 2. Madelyn Jones (T), 3. Raysa Kelly (BM); 200 freestyle relay - 1. Blue Mountain 1:50.05 (Raysa Kelly, Morgan Yuengling, Maria Lopez, Jacqueline O’Neill), 2. Blue Mountain, 3. Tamaqua; 100 backstroke - 1. Mallorie Dukmen (BM) 1:05.01, 2. Brianna Dumond (T), 3. Morgan Yuengling (BM); 100 breaststroke - 1. Sara Zimmerman (BM) 1:17.81, 2. Nevach Mitchell (BM), 3. Sarah Maue (T); 400 freestyle relay - 1. Tamaqua 4:16.80 (Kayla Sherry, Madelyn Jones, Sarah Maue, Brianna Dumond), 2. Blue Mountain.