A season ago, the key to the West Genesee girls swim team’s undefeated season was turning back the challenge of Jamesville-DeWitt.
But when those same two sides collided again in Wednesday night’s season opener, the host Red Rams got the best of it, winning nine of 12 races and defeating the Wildcats 99-83.
Amid all of the J-D success, Kaitlin Dunning would stand out for the Wildcats. She won a tough 200-yard freestyle in a time of two minutes, 2.53 seconds, holding off the Rams’ Amelia Hesler (2:04.25) for that top spot.
Later in the meet, Dunning prevailed again in the 500 freestyle, this time with Alexis Phillips offering the J-D opposition. In a time of 5:29.58, Dunning beat Phillips by 2.78 seconds.
Becca Kanoza earned WG’s only other victory, needing just 1:04.55 to blaze to first place in the 100 backstroke as Maggie Linton finished third in 1:15.74.
Otherwise, the Rams swept the board, seeing Meg Parker take the 200 individual medley (2:24.26) and 100 breaststroke (1:14.29), while Alden Coyne edged Kanoza, 55.39 seconds to 56.73, in the 100 freestyle after she took the 50 freestyle in 25.40 seconds.
More importantly, J-D swept the 200 medley (1:57.74), 200 freestyle (1:45.85) and 400 freestyle (3:58.98) relays. This happened even though Kanoza, Chezeki Boudreau, Mikki Riley and Jenna Mellen swam the 200 medley in 2:00.87, with Gabby Shuron joining Riley, Mellen and Dunning in the 200 free (1:50.06) as Kanoza, Dunning, Shuron and Maddie Zapisek swam the 400 free in 3:58.98.
Looking to bounce back, WG would have its home opener Tuesday against Auburn, who tied Liverpool 91-91 in its first meet of the fall as the Wildcats were falling to J-D.
