Once it got further removed from its narrow Sept. 20 victory over Christian Brothers Academy, the Jamesville-DeWitt girls swim team could relax more and focus on the next task – completing an undefeated regular season.
When the Red Rams hosted Mexico last Tuesday night, sweeps of the top three positions in two key events helped to overcome the Tigers’ strength in some of the other races on the way to a 100-81 victory.
In the diving competition, J-D’s Megan Alkins won with 219.55 points. Katie White earned 195.40 points and Ailin Liebler-Bendix, getting 174.25 points, complete the 1-2-3 effort for the Rams.
Later, in the 100-yard freestyle, J-D again swept the podium as Emma Galletta, in a time of 1:00.72, held off Sawyer Parker (1:01.12) for the victory, while Mackenzie Moore earned third place in 1:01.93.
Amelia Hesler had a starring role, going 1:05.58 to prevail in the 100 butterfly and going 26.42 seconds for first place in the 50 freestyle, this after helping Galletta, Marissa Potamianos and Alexis Phillips claim the 200 medley relay in 2:02.93.
Phillips would go on to win the 100 backtroke in 1:09.09 over Mexico’s Reatha Von Holtz (1:10.81), right after the 200 freestyle relay where J-D’s quartet of Hesler, Parker, Julia Antoine and Lauren Nandal finished in a top time of 1:57.47.
Potamianos, for her part, edged Mexico’s Sydney Lawton, 5:40.60 to 5:42.83, to take the 500 freestyle. Moore was second (2:15.56) to Mexico’s Carolyn Zedack (2:08.33) in the 200 freestyle, while Parker took second in the 200 individual medley in 2:32.47 as the Tigers’ Jessie Faulkner (2:26.90) got the top spot.
As a follow-up, J-D went to Auburn Friday and defeated the Maroons 95-72, with Potamianos winning twice, in the 200 IM (2:29.65) and 100 butterfly (1:04.70) as Hesler beat Phillips, 2:02.16 to 2:06.47, in the 200 freestyle and claimed the 500 freestyle in 5:27 flat.
Olivia Byrnes earned first place in the 100 breaststroke in 1:14.79 and J-D prevailed in two of the three relays. Parker, Galletta, Mackenzie Moore and Jordan Archer claimed the 200 medley relay in 2:05.72, with Moore joining Hesler, Potamianos and Phillips as they swam the 200 freestyle relay in 1:47.99.
Fayetteville-Manlius would visit Skaneateles Wednesday night at the Community Center, and remain undefeated with a fine all-around effort that produced a 97-81 win over the Lakers and a 5-0 record.
The lead came early as Grace Bang, Addie Antshel, Cara Campell and Saya Hrosar won the 200 medley relay in 2:03.35 for the Hornets before Hannah Kellog (2:08.73) and Caroline Muller (2:14.67) went 1-2 in the 200 freestyle.
More points came from Campell, in 26.40 seconds, joining Abbey Harris (27.27 seconds) and Hannah McMichael (28.23 seconds) for a 1-2-3 finish in the 50 freestyle. On the diving board, Erin Wind won with 214.05 points and Riley Miller (200.8 points) was a close second.
Antshel earned her victory in the 100 butterfly, holding off Skaneateles’ Grace King, 1:08.36 to King’s 1:09.19, and the Hornets earned another title in the 400 freestyle relay as Campbell, Kellog, McMichael and Harris prevailed in 1:47.67.
Catherine Ottaviano (2:32.77) beat Michelle Sipple (2:33.64) for second place in the 200 IM behind Leah King (2:25.16) as Kellog took second and Muller third in the 500 freestyle. Harris, going 58.32 seconds, lost the 100 freestyle to the Lakers’ Lily Buchholz (58.28 seconds) by 0.04 seconds, with Amelia Krause third in 59.55 seconds.
CBA did not find the same kind of success in last Wednesday’s meet at Baldwinsville, where the opposition, and the format, hurt the Brothers in a 51-42 defeat to the Bees.
Since there wasn’t a diving competition, it stripped CBA of valuable points and, instead, it had to rely on depth, which it didn’t quite have enough of since Tessa Queri, often good for one to two race wins per meet, was out of the lineup.
Still, Julia Torell prevailed twice, going 6:00.16 in the 500 freestyle and adding a top time of 1:08.77 in the 100 backstroke. Darien Tompkins needed 2:32.63 to win the 200 IM and also won the 100 butterfly in 1:07.14, with Lauren Kelly taking the 200 freestyle in 2:10.87.
B’ville countered by winning all three relay events – the 200 medley (2:10.38), 200 freestyle (1:47.67) and 400 freestyle (4:00.90) – and also having Noelle Staso win a pair of races, going 25.45 seconds in the 50 freestyle and 1:11.47 in the 100 breaststroke.
