Liverpool’s girls swim team rose to a third-place finish in last Thursday’s Section III Class A championship meet at Nottingham High School.
Overall, the Warriors had 255 points, a total only bettered by West Genesee (375.5 points) and Christian Brothers Academy (322 points), while Cicero-North Syracuse fit into seventh place with 173 points.
Murphy led Liverpool’s effort, as she won the 50-yard freestyle. Her time of 24.40 seconds was comfortably ahead of Auburn’s MaryJane Leja (24.68 seconds), who was second, as Murphy added a third-place clocking of 53.89 seconds in the 100 freestyle.
Madison Sestak contended in the 200 individual medley, claiming second place in 2:16.11 behind CBA’s Kathryn Coughlin (2:14.05), and Sestak also took fifth in the 100 breaststroke in 1:11.68. Madison Hall was fifth in the 100 backstroke in 1:06.69.
Murphy and Sestak tamed with Hall and Renee Stromski as Liverpool rose to second in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:42.71, just behind Auburn, who won in 1:42.48.
Sestak, Murphy, Ashley Zemotel and Olivia Corlett were third in the 200 medley relay in 1:58.87, while Hall, Stromski, Zemotel and Corlett got sixth (4:02.55) in the 400 freestyle relay.
CNS’s Emily Altier was fifth in the 200 freestyle (2:03.17) and sixth in the 500 freestyle in 5:32.86. Altier, Kim Morris, Nicole Blidy and Breanna Ruffrage were fifth in the 400 freestyle relay in 4:01.88 as Ruffrage, Blidy and Altier joined Kayla Massena for a fifth (1:48.03) in the 200 freestyle relay.
Moving on to Saturday’s overall sectional meet, Liverpool would settle into fifth place in the team standings and CNS would finishgh 13th, but Murphy would win again.
Inn a dramatic 50 freestyle duel with Leja, Murphy pulled out the victory, 24.62 seconds to Leja’s 24.65, and advances to the Nov. 18-19 state meet at Buffalo’s Erie Community College. Murphy also was fourth in the 100 freestyle in 54.17 seconds.
Murphy, Sestak, Hall and Stromski nearly won the 200 freestyle relay, their time of 1:42.12 only trailing Auburn, who won in 1:41.38.
In the 200 medley relay, Murphy, Zemotel, Sestak and Corless were again third, improving their time to 1:58.61. On her own, Sestak claimed third place in the 200 IM in 2:17.35 and earn sixth place (1:11.67) in the 100 breaststroke.
In diving, the Northstars’ Stacie DeCarr was fifth (317.60 points) and the Warriors’ Jessica Cain was sixth (303.00 points) heading into Saturday’s state qualifier. Two more CNS divers, Jessica Wheeler (299.05 points) and Jessica Rodford (292.80 points), were 10th and 12th, respectively.
DeCarr would finish fourth in Saturday’s diving finals, with 370.85 points. Sknaeateles diver Kaela Fiutak took the top spot with 409.20 points.
