Freedom’s girls’ swim team won its first meet of the season against Dieruff last Tuesday, but fell to Northampton, 102-82, last Thursday at Freedom.

That didn’t stop the Patriot girls from fighting to the finish of the last event of the day, the 400 free relay.

“I flipped on the last 50, and I saw the girl next to me,” said Freedom junior Hallie Smith, who swam the third leg. “You’re setting up the anchor to finish it, and it feels special because the team is relying on you.”

In the end, Smith, Sophie Twigger, Nicole Spaziani, and Elena Hume won the relay in 4:24.12.

At the start of the meet, Sage Hillier, Abby Burnette, Smith, and Twigger placed second in the 200 medley relay in 2:07.48.

Hillier also took second place in the 200 free in 2:21.95.

In the 50 free, Spaziani placed second in 30.32, and Hume placed third in 31.17.

Sarah Gill won the diving event with 214.90 points, and Cailin Connelly was third with 143.50 points.

In the 100 butterfly, Burnette placed first in 1:04.41, and Aliah Corrado placed third in 1:15.73.

Twigger came in second in the 100 free in 1:05.77, and Connelly came in third in 1:07.73.

Burnette, Hillier, Twigger, and Corrado combined to take second place in the 200 free relay in 1:52.48.

“I got a good start,” said Burnette. “It’s a new team, and we’re really starting to mesh together. A lot of girls are back, and we have a huge, new incoming group.”

Grace Christiansen, Connelly, Shannon Connelly, and Hume scored third-place points, also in the 200 free relay, with a time of 2:08.71.

Hillier placed second in the 100 backstroke in 1:10.48, and in the breaststroke, Burnette was first in 1:14.44, and Smith was second in 1:22.36.

“I was close to making districts in the breast last year, and I just missed by a tenth,” said Smith. “I believe [Coach Missy Baer] will help me achieve that goal. She’s in it for my individual goals, and for the whole team’s goals.”

Baer is in her first year as head coach of the Patriots.

“We’re a little stronger this year, and we have more people,” Smith said. “We’re really close, and it feels like a family.”