By ALEX SPONSELLER The Toll Gate and Pilgrim girls swimming teams squared off at McDermott Pool on Monday evening and would swim to a 39-39 tie in the early season meet.

Toll Gate’s Grace Hamilton, Katelyn Watson, Oce Lowe and Brooke DiBenedetto won the 200 medley relay, while Lowe won the 200 freestyle.

“(Oce is) one of our captains and she brings a lot of experience to the table. Katelyn Watson is another girl that has a lot of potential, her times have been exceptional. Between her, Oce, and Grace, we have a really strong start and then we have a few other girls that have filling in those spots behind them. They work really well as a team,” said Toll Gate coach Shana Willis.

Pilgrim’s Erin Cassidy won the 50 free for the Pats, while Hamilton took first in the 100 free for Toll Gate.

Lowe would go on to take first in the 500 free, while Watson, Hamilton, Emily Furtado and Sam Barr took first in the 200 free relay.

Watson would later finish first in the backstroke, while Pilgrim’s Kara Lee placed first in the breaststroke.

Pilgrim’s Lee, Cassidy, Kaylee Collins and Madison Tartarian combined to win the 400 free relay. Lee also won the 200 IM.

“We have a big week coming up. Now that the holidays are over we will get that consistency of competing and practicing every day which will really help the girls,” said Willis.

Collins finished second for Pilgrim in the 200 free, while DiBenedetto took second in the 50 free. Sirlenna Fernandes finished second for Toll Gate in the 100 free.

Pilgrim’s Collins later took second in the 500 free while Cassidy finished second in the backstroke. Tartarian took second in the breaststroke.