CAMBRIDGE, MA. — In Spring, Mainers look forward to crocuses. Maine masters' swimmers look forward to the massive New England short-course championship at Harvard, one of America's biggest masters' meets. 823 swimmers were entered this year, 48 of them swimming for Maine Masters, of whom six were from PenBay YMCA.

Though beset by a variety of contretemps, Maine finished fourth of 67 teams this year. The Harvard meet coincided with chemotherapy, pectoral tears, rotator cuff problems, coaching and following competitive kids and more. Maine could not hold off the 99 competitors from Rhode Island, the winners, or the 102-strong Cambridge home team, or even a smaller team from a town called Worcester. Thanks to the PenBay five, though, Maine held off serious challenges from New Hampshire, Connecticut and others.

Five? Drew Darling, one of 80 contestants in the men's 1650 free, had to scratch after breaking a hip in a skiing accident. It was the second time being unlucky for Darling who traveled to Cambridge last year for the same event, only to fall victim to a shoulder seizure.

The remaining PenBay five: Mara Crans, Kate Killoran, Ellen O'Donnell, Susan Rardin and Bill Jones, scored one-fifth of Maine's 2759 points, enough to keep Maine in fourth place.

Mara Crans swam 13 individual events over four days, including garnering a second in the 200-backstroke and a third in the 200 butterfly. Kate Killoran swam eight individuals and a relay in two days and got a second in the 200-fly and a third in the 100-fly. The Masters' year isn't over yet but, judging by last year, Killoran's 45+ 400-yard women's medley relay, which placed second at Harvard, should place about fourth nationally. PenBay's spectacular 45-49-year olds swam side by side in several events and, in one, finished within 4/100ths of a second of each other.

Backstroke specialist Ellen O'Donnell won fourth place in each of the backstroke events in her tough age group and made three relays possible. Susan Rardin swam five individual events and three relays, winning the New England championship in the 100-fly. Her time in this event currently places her 10th nationally. Rardin dominated her age group, except for one national champion; she was second in her other events. O'Donnell and Rardin strengthened their reputation as team players by "swimming down" with the youth in the 18+ 400 mixed medley relay.

Bill Jones won New England championships in the 400-individual medley and, unexpectedly, in the 100-individual medley and 500-freestyle, while coming second to young 75-year-olds in events he usually dominates. His losing 100 and 200-fly and 200-IM may, nevertheless, be nationally ranked. On the day of Boston's St. Patrick's parade, his green-clad offspring cheered his 200-back. He was part of three winning relays that should be nationally ranked.