Still in pursuit of the CNY Counties League regular-season title, the West Genesee girls swim team passed two major obstacles in a 48-hour span.
The Wildcats visited Liverpool Tuesday night, and double titles from Brianna Smith and Abby Mullett proved crucial to a 94-87 victory over the Warriors.
Smith had her first impact in the 50 freestyle, needing 26.14 seconds to prevail. Later, in the 100 backstroke, Smith earned another title in 1:04.15 as teammate Becca Kanoza (1:08.63) was second.
Mullett went to work right away, in the opening 200 medley relay, teaming with Kanoza, Sinead Guy and Michaela Fisher to beat Liverpool in 2:00.40.
On her own, Mullett, in the 200 individual medley, pulled away from the field for a victory in 2:29.22, returning in the 100 butterfly to post a top time of 1:07.96.
In one of the meet’s best races, the 200 freestyle, Olivia Castro managed to hold off Liverpool star Madeline Murphy, 1:58.66 to Murphy’s 1:59.91.
Castro also swam a leg in the 200 freestyle relay (1:52.21), where Rachel Delaney, Jessie Brusa and Christina Lee helped out. And in the 400 freestyle relay, Castro, Kaitlin Dunning, Jordan Donegan and Hannah Kanoza beat Liverpool with a top clocking of 3:49.98.
On her own, Dunning was victorious in the 100 freestyle in 58.99 seconds. Abby Uczen continued her strong work on the diving board, picking up 218.10 points, while Erin Dowler beat Fisher, 1:14.71 to 1:20.12, for a 1-2 Wildcat effort in the 100 breaststroke.
Two days later, the Wildcats were back home to face Auburn, and continued to show top form in the course of an 101-78 victory over the Maroons.
The effort got capped in the 400 freestyle relay. Even though the win was already secure, Castro, Smith, Dunning and Becca Kanoza held off a strong challenge from Auburn, 3:45.74 to 3:47.80, and in doing so set the West Genesee pool record.
Already, Castro had won twice, sweeping the sprints as she got through the 50 freestyle in 25.34 seconds and also claimed the 100 freestyle in 53.98 seconds.
Erin Dowler also chimed in with two titles, beating Mullett, 2:25.82 to 2:31.17, in the 200 IM, and getting to first place in the 100 breaststroke in 1:13.54 ahead of Michaela Fisher (1:18.57). She also swam a leg of the 200 medley relay (1:59.91) alongside Smith, Brusa and Guy.
For the second meet in a row, Uczen prevailed in diving, earning 202.7 points as teammate Daryl Corcoran was second. Shannon Cahalan was first in the 100 butterfly (1:06.21), ahead of Becca Kanoza (1:11.30) as Hannah Kanoza went to first in the 100 backstroke in 1:10.24.
Now all the Wildcats need to do is make it through next Wednesday’s meet at Oswego before the Oct. 17 first-place showdown with Baldwinsville.
