MADISON — The Cheesemakers lost 97-73 to defending state champion Madison Edgewood in a tight dual Tuesday.

“This was the first year in several years that the MNG swim team was able to hang close to Edgewood throughout the meet,” Monroe-New Glarus head coach Linda Moser said. “The difference was the girls did not let Edgewood get into their heads because they are a powerhouse team in the Badger South. They held on to the knowledge that they can compete with tough teams instead of giving in to them.”

Mekenzie Hammer won the 200-yard individual medley for Monroe-New Glarus with a time of 2:16.95. Freshman Alyssa Roelli gave the Cheesemakers their other win, a tight victory in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:04.83, just 0.06 seconds ahead of Edgewood’s Abby Reid.

“Even though there were only two first-place finishes by the girls they still fell only 25 points short of winning,” Moser said.

Hammer, the defending state champion in the 100 backstroke, finished second in the event by just 2/100ths of a second with a time of 1:00.84. Morgan Erstad took third in the backstroke (1:02.89) and second in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:03.84, just 0.22 seconds behind champion Maeve O’Driscoll.

Francesca Schiro was third in the 50 freestyle (26.66), less than one second behind Edgewood’s Issy Petersen (26.35) and DeeDee Walker (25.70).

The Cheesemakers get back into the water Tuesday at home against Stoughton.