The tables have turned.
Mountain Lakes dominated Public C. The Morris County program won three of the first four championships since the classification's inception in 2015, only failing to capture the title in that inaugural season, succumbing to Chatham before its county rival went back to tormenting Public B.
Haddonfield was the victim during that initial run for Mountain Lakes, with the Bulldogs struggling to close the gap against a Lakers team that matched up with the state's best.
Now Haddonfield is the bully, proving as much with a 110-60 victory against second-seeded Mountain Lakes, No. 11 in the NJ.com Top 20, in the Public C final at The College of New Jersey on Saturday evening.
"I think it's really exciting," Haddonfield senior Ava Berzanski said. "Last year we won so it's not like we're in a position where we're trying to catch up. Now we're in a position to defend our title. It was a lot of pressure but I knew we could get it in the end."
Top-seeded and No. 5 Haddonfield first flipped the script last season, securing the program's first state title in a decade thanks to an influx of talent as part of a loaded freshman class.
It felt like a foregone conclusion that Haddonfield would repeat this year, especially considering the Bulldogs' win over Public B champion Moorestown and a powerpoint total that ranked within the top five in the state.
"We really had to maintain our underdog mentality," Carly Griffin said. "Last year we came in and hadn't won before so we were really hungry for it, and this year we just had to maintain that.
"We just try to make everyone feel special, get them hyped up and make them realize that it could go either way no matter what. People show up to this meet and put up crazy times. Nothing is guaranteed. We have to swim as fast as we can all of the time."
Still, as good as Haddonfield has been this season, Saturday's championship meet wasn't supposed to be easy with Mountain Lakes still loaded with talent.
That didn't stop Haddonfield from earning four 1-2 finishes in the first seven events, earning the point advantage in all but the first event -- an 8-6 Mountain Lakes advantage for its only lead -- and clinching the meet with three events left.
"It gives you so much energy," Abby Mackey said. "You see someone else do well and it makes you feel like you can do well. It's a momentum thing. We all build off each other."
Sydney Mullin, Lillian Derivaux, Katharine Skelly and Sophia Rollo each won individual events, with Derivaux and Skelly each claiming two, and Haddonfield won two of the three relays.
"It's an incredible way to cap our four years," Sophia Rollo said. "We've had an great time in this program and this is the perfect way to end it."
Evan Slavit may be reached at eslavit@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @EvanSlavitHS. Like NJ.com HS sports on Facebook.