Though the athletic rivalry between Baldwinsville and Fulton is best represented by their battles on the wrestling mat, the excitement transferred to the swimming pool when the two faced each other Tuesday night.
And though the Red Raiders led most of the way, it was the Bees, in the closing 400-yard freestyle relay, who got the points it needed to pull in front and prevail 94-89.
B’ville claimed three of the first four races on the card, with Nick Schultz, Quinn Gruppe, Harrison German and Aidan Solomon going one minute, 50.11 seconds in the 200 medley relay.
Schultz then won the 200 individual medley in 2:07.62 as Bailey Ludden, in 24.10 seconds, and Gruppe (25.11) went 1-2 in the 50 freestyle. John Burns, in the 200 freestyle, was a close second (1:57.31) to Fulton’ Bryce Rogers (1:55.95).
With the Red Raiders claiming all 13 points in diving, it moved in front, but B’ville crawled back, helped by Ludden taking the 100 freestyle in 52.04 seconds.
Burns, swimming the 100 butterfly, was second in 57.82 seconds behind Fulton’s T.J. Clayton (56.76), while Tristan Miranda was second in the 500 freestyle in 5:19.95 as Rogers (5:17.97) prevailed.
Schultz returned to pair with Ludden, Gruppe and Burns to win the 200 freestyle relay in 1:37.18 and, on his own, won the 100 breaststroke in 1:01.65. Miranda was second (1:04.34) and Solomon third (1:05.06) in the 100 backstroke.
So entering the final race, B’ville trailed 85-84, but it got the winning points in the 400 freestyle relay when Burns, Ludden, German and Miranda went 3:34.13 to hold off Fulton’s 3:35.30.
Having improved to 8-2 overall, B’ville finishes its regular season next Wednesday with another road trip, this one to Auburn.
