SYRACUSE — Regardless of which event was taking place, the West Genesee girls swim team was making an impact during Friday’s Section III Class A championships at Nottingham High School and gaining points along the way.
But while the Wildcats did edge Oswego, 308 points to 307, for the runner-up spot in a 10-team field, neither of them could keep up with Cicero-North Syracuse, who followed up its 10-0 regular season and CNY Counties League regular-season title by winning here, too, earning 356 points.
Kaitlin Dunning led WG’s efforts, and nearly won the 200-yard freestyle. Battling C-NS’s Lauren Thorne and Auburn’s Hannah Foster, Dunning posted two minutes, 0.96 seconds and edged out Foster (2:01.04), but finished behind Thorne’s 2:00.30, which broke a C-NS school record.
Following that, the Wildcats had to settle for a series of finishes of fourth or below until the 100 butterfly, when Miki Riley got third place in 1:03.42, though Oswego’s Caitlin Gorton (59.01 seconds) prevailed.
Dunning made her way to third place in the 500 freestyle in 5:25.68, where Liverpool’s Sydnie Sovinsky won in 5:11.97, one of two events Sovinsky claimed (she also won the 200 individual medley) on her way to Most Outstanding Swimmer honors.
Becca Kanoza, swimming the 100 freestyle, got to third place in 56.02 seconds as another Oswego star, Mariah Metcalf, won in 55.20 seconds. But Kanoza fared better in the 100 backstroke, her time of 1:03.69 topping everyone except Gorton, who gained another victory in 1:00.69.
Of the three relays, WG had its best showing in the 400 freestyle, where Kanoza, Dunning, Maddie Zapisek and Gabby Shuron roared to a time of 3:45.69 that beat everyone except Auburn, who grabbed first place in 3:44.73.
