OBSERVER Photo by Ron Szot.

The Dunkirk boys swimming team suffered a hard fought loss on Thursday night, dropping the meet to Panama, 88-80.

The Marauders got off to a hot start, with the team of Adam Fred, Owen Bates, Josiah Cox, and Steven Zentz winning the Mixed 200 yard Medley Relay, ending with a time of 2:02.35. The Marauders would drop the next four events in a row, before reclaiming victory in the Mixed 100 yard Butterfly, which Bates would win in 109.31 and his teammate Sebastian Cox, a seventh grader, would finish second with a 1:40.43.

Panama would take the next event, the Mixed 100 yard Freestyle, before Zentz would win the Mixed 500 yard Freestyle in 6:07. The Marauders would next win the Mixed 100 Yard Backstroke, which Adam Fred finished in 1:01.23.

The meet was decided in the final event, the 400 yard Freestyle Relay, which Panama’s team of Austin Strong, Colby Pantell, David Marshall, and R.J. Helt, beating the Dunkirk four of Bates, Josiah Cox, Zentz, and Fred by a nine second margin to win the match.