Make that a third consecutive trip to the New York State Public High School Association boys swimming championships for Skaneateles standout Reed Swartz.
After a season competing with the Auburn Maroons, Swartz and fellow Laker Matt Leverich went to Nottingham High School for Friday’s Section III Class A championships -and both would punch their tickets to the state meet, set for March 4-5 at Nassau Aquatic Center on Long Island.
For Swartz, that meant once again dominating the 100-yard backstroke. In the Class A finals on Friday, Swartz finished in 53.64 seconds, nearly half a second ahead of Fayetteville-Manlius star Jack Robinson, who was second in 54.11 seconds. Baldwinsville’s Dan Burke (54.81 seconds) was third.
Also, Swartz had a time of 2:01.10 in the 200 individual medley that also met the state qualifying standard, putting him fourth behind Robinson (1:59.46), Liverpool’s Cory Spado (1:59.78) and Burke, who was third in 1:59.96.
Leverich pulled off the same feat in the 200 freestyle by finishing fourth in 1:47.78. West Genesee’s Ben Seketa won that event (1:44.34) as Auburn’s Adam Zelehowsky was second (1:44.82) and Watertown’s George LaBarr was third in 1:47.01. Also, Leverich took sixth place in the 100 freestyle in 49.81 seconds.
Even with just a two-man ‘team’, Skaneateles was ninth in the Class A standings with 62.50 points, ahead of established programs like Rome Free Academy and Utica Proctor. West Genesee (341 points) edged Liverpool (324.50 points) for the top spot.
