Middletown - East Lyme set three school records and finished with 457.5 points.

The problem was, the Vikings were constantly looking up at three other teams Tuesday, namely Class M state swimming and diving champion Lauralton Hall. Lauralton accumulated 605.5 points in the meet at Wesleyan University, followed by Wethersfield (553), Brookfield (491) and fourth-place East Lyme High School.

East Lyme had a pair of all-state swimmers in Ugne Kirvelevicius, second in the 100-yard breaststroke in a school record 1 minute, 7.19 seconds; and Emma Magna, third in the 100 freestyle in 55.28. The 4x100 relay of Magna, Kirvelevicius, Melinda Wei and Gretchen Stelter was third in 1:41.31, also setting a school record.

The third school record belonged to Tori Poole, who was fifth in the 100 butterfly in 1:00.82.

East Lyme coach Jack Stabach spoke of the effort from Kirvelevicius in the breaststroke.

"She was shaking after. It was a great swim on her part," Stabach said. "Now there's a kid who gave 100 percent."

It's just that there was something, perhaps a bit of regret, nagging at Stabach. The coach believed all week his team could finish in the top two, maybe even first, based on the success it had in winning its 15th straight Eastern Connecticut Conference meet and again Saturday at the Class M preliminaries.

Stabach was elated after the ECC meet, saying nearly every single swimmer turned in a best time. He was left wondering if there was a different way he should have had his team taper to be ready for the state meet instead of peaking at the conference championship.

"There are a lot of bright points. All-state. All-state. School record. School record. They're happy," Stabach said.

"They're such a talented group. I don't want to put myself down … and next year's group will be different, too. I am disappointed. I'm not so sure I handled this group the way I could have. I could have done something different. It's just the way swimming is. Every group is different."

The Vikings, still looking for their first state title, have been the state runner-up twice before (2006 and 2007). Lauralton Hall, meanwhile, which moved up this year from Class S, won its eighth state championship. The Crusaders got wins from Elizabeth Sargent in the 200 individual medley, Kaitlyn Joy in the 50 freestyle and from their 200 free relay team.

The meet's only double-winner individually was Brookfield's Rachel Brown in the 100 (52.54) and 200 (1:53.53) freestyle events.

East Lyme had two more top-five finishes with the 200 medley relay team of Alexis Dumais, Kirvelevicius, Poole and Anneliese Lapides fourth in 1:55.01 and the 400 free relay of Magna, Wei, Stelter and Poole fifth in 3:44.71.

The Vikings scored 57 points in the diving portion of the meet last Wednesday, finishing first and second behind senior Hanna Suarez and junior Jasmine Bazinet.

"We're pretty happy with how we finished overall," said Magna, a junior. "We broke the school record in the relay. We were one one-hundredth of a second away from it at ECCs.

"… We're pretty exhausted. I guess it's hard to know (after Saturday) that you've got to go do it again Tuesday. We had a good day at prelims; it's pretty tough to do better at finals."

Magna called it "so amazing" to be a part of the East Lyme program.

"There's such a good bond here," Magna said. "We won our 15th straight ECC title this year. That's a pretty big number."

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Twitter: @vickieattheday