DeWitt — Whenever it has faced a major test, the Jamesville-DeWitt/CBA boys swim team has made it through, relying on a diverse lineup to pile up the points.
So it was when the Red Rams visited unbeaten Frontier League powerhouse Watertown Thursday night in the first big meet of 2016. Despite dropping two of three relays and splitting individual races, the Red Rams still found the points to turn back the Cyclones by a 100-85 margin.
Having tuned up with a win over Weedsport the night before, J-D/CBA seized the early advantage on Watertown in the opening race, the 200-yard medley relay, where Dan McGann, Luca Bebla, Casey Sawyer and Jeff Gabriel finished in one minute, 41.94 seconds to hold off the Cyclones, who were second in 1:43.55.
Then, in the first two individual races, the Rams continued to find point. Spencer Schultz won the 200 freestyle in 1:53.49, with Jack Toole second in 1:57.26, while Bebla (2:15.32) and Owen Farchione (2:18.94) were second and third, respectively, behind Watertown’s Nate Carlos (2:13.92) in the 200 individual medley.
By far, J-D/CBA’s biggest point impact came on the diving board. No one on the Cyclones could crack the top three as the Rams’ Ryan Evans won with 202.87 points, edging out teammate Kyler Harrington, who had 200.85 points. Griffin Netti was third with 142.5 points.
Sawyer, who finished second (22.82 seconds) to Watertown speedster Maclean Crossley (22 seconds flat) in the 50 freestyle, did prevail in the 100 butterfly, going 52.88 seconds to hold off the Cyclones’ Joey Ongkingco (53.20 seconds) as Schultz was third in 55.86 seconds.
McGann had to wait until the 100 backstroke to get his turn at the top, needing a time of 1:00.13 to hold off Carlos (1:00.50), with Farchione third in 1:02.12. Then Bebla prevailed in the 100 breaststroke, topping Watertown’s Anthony Medina, 1:06.72 to 1:07.42, while Sargon Bebla gained third place in 1:07.76.
Gabriel finished second (51.89 seconds) and McGann third (52.65 seconds) behind Crossley (49.86 seconds) in the 100 freestyle, while Toole made it to second place in the 500 freestyle (5:28.35), topped only by Ongkingco’s 5:14.15.
In the 200 freestyle relay, Sawyer, paired with Evans, Toole and Luca Bebla, finished in 1:35.66, but Watertown, anchored by Crossley, took that race in 1:31.85. Evans and Toole returned in the 400 freestyle relay, paired with McGann and Schultz to finish in 3:40.64, again with the Cyclones (3:29.80) out in front.
