A 4-2 run through December had established the Baldwinsville boys swim team as one of the strongest sides in the Salt City Athletic Conference Metro division, despite its relatively small roster.
The Bees continued to impress as 2018 started, going to Weedsport last Wednesday and handling the Warriors 102-74 as John Licciardello and Ryan Hiltbrand won two races apiece.
Licciardello would tear to first place in the 200-yard freestyle in one minute, 53.39 seconds, and would later return to win the 500 freestyle in 5:11.18 as Jamus Socker was second (2:13.06) in the 200 free.
For Ryan Hiltbrand, it began with a 100 freestyle victory in 53.49 seconds over teammate Bailey Ludden (55.57 seconds), and continued in the 100 breaststroke, where Hiltbrand posted 1:13.73 to edge Weedsport’s Dan Cherry (1:14.52) for the top spot.
As for Alex Hiltbrand, he was victorious in the 100 backstroke in 1:01.37 over Aidan Solomon (1:14.08), but lost a tight 100 butterfly as, in 55.67 seconds, he was just behind Weedsport’s Macauley Kolonko, who won in 55.17 seconds.
Ludden beat the field in the 50 freestyle in 24.41 seconds and paired with Licciardello, Alex Hiltbrand and Quinn Gruppe to go 3:41.63 in the 400 freestyle relay. Licciardello, Solomon and the Hiltbrand brothers posted 1:37.16 to win the 200 freestyle relay as John Burns was second in the 200 individual medley in 2:27.42.
