Back from competing at the Sept. 29 Empire State Invitational, the Liverpool girls swim team faced a pair of big meets in short order.
In the latter of these two events, the Warriors met neighbor and rival Cicero-North Syracuse Thursday night and came out on top, putting together a 100-84 victory over the Northstars.
Madeline Murphy and Sydnie Sovinsky led Liverpool’s effort. In the 50 freestyle, Murphy blazed to first place in 24.81 seconds, and it was the same in the 100 freestyle as Murphy finished in 55.60 seconds.
As for Sovinsky, she joined Olivia Corlett, Ashley Zemotal and Sarah Piraino in claiming the 200 medley relay (2:04.55) before edging C-NS’s Kim Morris, 2:29.40 to 2:30.81, in the 200 individual medley. Then Sovinsky claimed first place in the 100 butterfly in 1:07.36.
Madison Hall was victorious in the 200 freestyle in 2:12.40, this before finishing second in the 100 backstroke (1:09.16) behind Corlett, who won in 1:06.89. Zemotal followed by beating the field in the 100 breaststroke in 1:17.51, with C-NS’s Julianna Melara second in 1:19.98.
Kelly Austin, with 180.23 points, took the diving competition, edging out the Northstars’ Jessica Rodford, who had 179.50 points.
Morris gave C-NS a title in the 500 freestyle, finishing in 5:49.83. Breanna Ruffrage, who was second to Murphy in the 50 freestyle (26.44 seconds) and 100 freestyle (57.96 seconds), helped C-NS get first place in the 400 freestyle relay in 4:06.89.
Before all this,, the Warriors had to face unbeaten West Genesee last Tuesday night. Despite getting plenty of second and third-place finishes, Liverpool rarely went to the top, which made the difference in a 94-87 loss to the Wildcats.
Murphy, who had qualified for the state championships when she swam the 50 freestyle in 24.51 seconds at the Empire State meet (she also got a time of 54.55 seconds) in the 100 freestyle, broke WG’s stranglehold when she won the 500 freestyle in 5:39.16.
Elsewhere, Murphy, in the 200 freestyle, broke the two-minute mark with 1:59.91, but still was second to WG”s Olivia Castro, who won in 1:58.66. In the 200 freestyle relay, Murphy, Piraino, Sovinsky and Hall prevailed in 1:50.90.
To help the Wildcats prevail, Abby Mullett took first in the 100 butterfly (1:07.96) and 200 individual medley (2:29.22), while Brianna Smith won the 50 freestyle (26.14 seconds) and 100 backstroke (1:04.15).
C-NS had beaten Fayetteville-Manlius 97-87 last Tuesday at Le Moyne College’s pool, with Ruffrage at the forefront.
Ruffrage swam the 200 freestyle in 2:09.96, winning that event, and would also get first place in the 100 freestyle in 59.17 seconds. In the 200 freestyle relay, Ruffrage swam a leg as C-NS prevailed in a time of 1:51.16.
On her own, Hall claimed the 50 freestyle in 27.71 seconds, while Morris swam the 200 IM in 2:32.39. Kelly Festa was first in the 100 breaststroke (1:19.93) and also helped in the 200 medley relay, teaming with Hall, Carla Champagne and Stacey Radder for a victory in 2:12.05.
