Just one day after it was announced that Liverpool’s boys swimming teams from 1966 to 1983 would get honored with induction into the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame, their modern female counterparts set out on their own historic quest.
Featuring a core of extremely talented swimmers, the Warriors opened its season Wednesday night and had little trouble handling Mexico, defeating the Tigers 108-73.
Madeline Murphy, a standout in the sprints, needed just 25.05 seconds to claim the 100 freestyle, and then swam the 100 freestyle in 56.02 seconds, fending off a strong challenge from Mexico’s Sylvia Lamb (57.68 seconds) along the way.
Sydnie Sovinsky also won a pair of individual races, covering the 200 individual medley in 2:19.25 to beat Mexico’s Jane Pritchard (2:26.59) by more than seven seconds and then going 1:01.19 to top Pritchard (1:06.58) in the 100 butterfly.
Olivia Corlett, second (27.47 seconds) to Murphy in the 50 freestyle, won the 100 backstroke in 1:08.36 over the Tigers’ Desiree Mullen (1:12.65), while Stephanie Adams pulled away in the 500 freestyle, recording a top time of 6:03.79.
Julia Telesca finished runner-up (2:10.76) to Lamb (2:07.47) in the 200 freestyle, but later paired with Corlett, Adams and Donovan to beat Mexico, 4:14.36 to 4:16.76, in the 400 freestyle relay.
Corlett, Murphy, Sovinsky and Maddie Rose won the 200 medley relay in a swift 1:58.77, while in the 200 freestyle relay Brandie Dundas-Judge joined Murphy, Sovinsky and Rose to post 1:52.53.
A night later, Cicero-North Syracuse, meeting Christian Brothers Academy at the Le Moyne College pool they both claim as a home venue, won a 97-87 decision over the Brothers.
Lauren Throne led the Northstars’ efforts. She won the 200 freestyle in 2:09.82, held off CBA’s Katie Toole, 5:39.57 to 5:41.35, in the 500 freestyle, and then teamed with Carla Champagne, Brooke Fedi and Sarah Walter to win the 400 freestyle relay in 4:11.32 and get C-NS the clinching points.
Fedi, for her part, needed 2:31.63 for a victory in the 200 IM, while Champagne got first place in the 100 backstroke in 1:09.91. CBA had Tessa Queri, who won the 50 freestyle (26.14 seconds), and Annie Fletcher, who took the 100 freestyle (56.79 seconds), swim on two first-place relay sides.
But it was the Northstars victorious as it looked ahead to meets this week against Fayetteville-Manlius and Mexico, while Liverpool would host Syracuse on Tuesday before a trip to Skaneateles on Friday night.
