AUBURN - By a technicality, the meet was actually close for a while.

The Auburn boys swim team had a 10-4 lead over Cicero-North Syracuse after the first event, but the score was reversed after it was determined that a member of Auburn's 200 medley relay advanced from his platform a hair too soon. For the first time all season, the Maroons fell behind. It didn't last long, though.

Their perfect season was never really in jeopardy as the Maroons took first place in every other event that they didn't swim exhibition, walking away with an 86-75 win at the Auburn YMCA-WEIU on Friday.

The defending Section III, Class A champs won their sixth regular-season meet this year and 26th straight overall.

The last time the Maroons lost was Dec. 16, 2005 to Liverpool at home. So far this season, nearly every returning swimmer has qualified for sectionals and those who have will be swimming in multiple events.

The one swimmer that newly qualified for sectionals on Friday, though, won't be competing in the event in the postseason. With Lucas and Adam Zelehowsky not at the meet, Pat O'Donovan stepped into the 100 butterfly role for the first time this year. By the time the fifth event got underway, the Maroons had a 48-27 lead, so it wouldn't have been that detrimental if the speedy junior hadn't taken first place. Going against a good Northstars swimmer in Dan Walton and his own teammate, Justin Sawran, O'Donovan got off to a quick start and easily took the win (56.57), edging out Walton by over a second.

“I figured Pat could swim this one for us,” Maroons coach Rich Hamberger said. “It was probably good for the C-NS swimmer too, but when Pat swims something, he's determined to win it.”

“He's an animal,” Auburn assistant coach Luke Ferrin added.

O'Donovan also beat out everyone else in the water during the 100 backstroke, even though it wasn't included in Auburn's points. Though Walton walked away with the win in 1:04.81 - and six points for C-NS - O'Donovan swam a 56.93, which would have qualified him for the state meet if he was swimming in sectionals.

“He was a little off after the butterfly,” Hamberger said. “His best time was in Weedsport, but he did pretty well.”

Patrick Stevens, Kieren Cotter, Sawran and Josh Gehring placed second (2:04.82) in the initial event, the 200 medley relay after O'Donovan, Shawn Doyle, Preston Chaffee and Sean McNamara were disqualified. The Northstars' John McCabe, Kyle Whalen, Walton and Jack McAndrew earned the win instead (1:58.58).

John Tehan (2:02.12) won the 200 freestyle by more than four seconds as well as the 100 breaststroke (1:13.44). Chaffee, who will be competing in four events in sectionals, came in first in the 200 individual medley (2:19.54) by more than five seconds and the 500 freestyle (5:15.41) by more than 35 seconds.

“In the 500, I was really psyched going into it after we lifted this morning,” Chaffee said. “I had a horrible 200 IM, so for the 500, I wanted to start out long and strong - take as few strokes as possible to put more pressure on my kicking. It just worked out - I felt it after the first 400 yards that I'd have a pretty good time.”

As usual, Sean McNamara won the 50 freestyle (23.46) and the 100 freestyle (52.66). In other exhibition swim for the Maroons, Doyle, Connor Kilmer, Sawran and McNamara had the best time (1:41.32), but Walen, Mike Wemuth, Tyler Smith, and Brent Campbell got the first-place points (1:52.25).

Chaffee, Kilmer, Gary Leader and O'Donovan rounded out the win with a first-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay (3:45.60).

The Maroons travel to Baldwinsville Thursday. Auburn has two more opponents until its biggest meet of the season, at home against West Genesee on Feb. 1. Not that they're looking past the Bees, or Oswego on Jan. 25.

“We never look past another opponent,” Ferrin said. “The main thing is to keep practicing hard, swimming good in meets and turning in good times. The only thing that matters is the clock.”