To be sure, the Skaneateles girls swim team has enjoyed some big moments in seasons past, but what happened Friday night ranks right with them.
Against its neighbors from Auburn, the Lakers stayed right with them until the final race, and then prevailed in a tense final showdown to earn the clinching points and beat the Maroons by a score of 93-90.
All was still in doubt when the final race, the 400-yard freestyle relay, got underway. Leah King, Haley Buchholz and Rachel Teixeria had each won races during the meet, and now they were paired with Halle King to see if the Lakers could pull it out.
Leah King went first, and established a solid lead. Buchholz took it from there for the second leg, and after Halle King swam the third leg, Teixeria brought it home, the Lakers finishing in four minutes, 6.04 seconds to win the race – and the team event.
Before all that, Teixeria was a double winner on the individual side, having taken 2:08.43 to earn first place in the 200 freestyle, following it up later in the meet with a first-place clocking of 5:44.10 in the longest event, the 500 freestyle.
Moving to the 100 butterfly, Leah King earned victory in a time of 1:06.93, while Buchholz waited until the 100 backstroke t find the win column, taking that race in 1:11.01. Megan Molnar contributed crucial points when she won the diving competition with 167.05 points.
Brigid Cotter led Auburn’s efforts, swimming legs in two successful relays – the 200 medley (2:08.64) and 200 freestyle (1:42.56) – and also, on her own, claiming the 200 individual medley in 2:31.62 and the 100 breaststroke in 1:13.88.
Two nights earlier, the Lakers had a strong effort in its home match against Baldwinsville, but still ended up with a 92-84 defeat to the Bees.
Rachel Teixeria earned first place in the 200 freestyle in a time of 2:07.39. Much later in the meet, Teixeria, Leah King, Halle King and Haley Buchholz would team together and, in 4:06.87, won the 400 freestyle relay.
Megan Molnar picked up 184.25 points on the diving board to win that event, while Mary Teixeria earned a time of 1:28.27 in the 100 breaststroke.
B’ville had three double winners – Noelle Staso in the 200 individual medley (2:27.03) and the 500 freestyle (5:44.01), Alexandra Connor in the 50 freestyle (26.57 seconds) and 100 butterfly (1:04.63), and Samantha Sidorakis in the 100 freestyle (58.98 seconds) and 100 backstroke (1:04.73).
Two more big meets loomed for the Lakers next week, as it visits Jamesville-DeWitt on Tuesday and is back home at the Community Center Thursday night to take on CBA.
