Clarence’s 400 freestyle relays took first and third place to complete a late rally from 10 points down to defeat rival Williamsville North Friday, 94-92, in a battle of the only two undefeated teams left in ECIC Division I.

Clarence’s top 400 relay of Ryan Saenger, Nate Kreher, Nick Hook and Kevin Kreher won the event in a state-meet qualifying time of 3:19.34, while Joe Lawrence, Phil Nanula, Jim Walleshauser and Steve Monkelbaan placed third in 3:35.80.

“North was undefeated until Friday, and with only one regular season dual meet left, at Sweet Home, I like our chances to win the ECIC I league title,” coach Eric McClaren said.

Clarence started the meet strong and led through the diving portion of the meet. The Red Devils opened things with a 10-4 lead after the first event, the 200 medley relay, after earning firstand third-place points. Clarence’s top foursome of Hook, Kreher, Mike Le and Nate Kreher won, while Emmanual Rockwell, Adam Hoff, Andrew Cahalane and Jeff Graziano took the third-place points.

Saenger then won the 200 free in a state-meet qualifying 1:46.87, while Nanula (fourth, 1:56.84) and Monkelbaan (fifth, 2:06.53) helped the Red Devils push their advantage to 19-11 with their respective efforts. Clarence maintained its eight-point edge after the 200 IM, as Kevin Kreher placed first in 2:02.69, Cahalane placed fourth in 2:13.17 and Austin Geiger took sixth in 2:20.24.

North took two points off Clarence’s lead in the 50 free, as Hook took second (22.74 seconds), Nate Kreher took fourth (24.01) and Lawrence took fifth (25.18). Clarence then lost the lead in the diving competition, as Brendan Garrett and Joe Lombardo took fourth and fifth, respectively, as the Red Devils trailed for the first time, 41-37.

North expanded its lead to eight points (51-43) in the 100 butterfly, as Le took third (58.37), Cahalane took fourth (1:00.85), Rockwell took fifth (1:02.13). Clarence then took two points off North’s lead (58-52) with its efforts in the 100 free; Kevin Kreher took first in a state-meet qualifying 48.36, Hook placed fourth in 49.51, and Walleshauser took fifth in 54.44.

In the 500 free, Saenger won in a state-meet qualifying 4:51.50, Nanula took fourth in 5:30.56, and Max Costich took fifth in 5:34.26 to cut into North’s lead even further (65-61). North’s advantage stayed at four points after the 200 free relay after Clarence split its top two relays to take second and third.

North pushed its lead to its highest point of the meet, 83-73, after taking the top two spots in the 100 backstroke. Rockwell (third, 59.84), Geiger (fourth, 1:02.83) and Jon Przybyla (fifth, 1:03.12) were Clarence’s top finishers in the event.

A 1-3-4 finish by Clarence in the 100 breaststroke brought North’s advantage back down to four points (88-84) going into the final event. Le won the event in 1:05.24, while Hoff took third in 1:08.23. Jake Milbrath took fourth in 1:08.70.

Clarence opened the week with a 116-65 non-league win over Iroquois.

Clarence returned to action Tuesday at Sweet Home, but information about the Red Devils’ regular-season finale was not available at press time. A return trip to the Panthers’ pool will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday for the start of the postseason, the ECIC Championships.