By the time this season is done, the Skaneateles girls swim team will have tested itself against most of the top Section III sides, and that includes Fayetteville-Manlius.
The Hornets, sporting a 4-0 record this fall, came to the Community Center last Wednesday night, and nothing proved easy to the Lakers as its late point surge could not prevent a 97-81 defeat to the Lakers.
F-M prevailed mostly with its depth, showcased in wins in each of the first two relays, 200 medley (2:03.35) and 200 freestyle (1:47.67), plus 1-2 finishes in the 200 freestyle (Hannah Kellog, Caroline Muller) and diving (Erin Wind, Riley Miller) and a 1-2-3 sweep in the 50 freestyle where Cara Campell prevailed in 26.40 seconds.
Amid all this, Leah King did give Skaneateles a victory when, in a time of two minutes, 25.16 seconds, she pulled away from the Hornets’ Catherine Ottaviano (2:32.77) and Michelle Sipple (2:33.64) in the 200 individual medley.
Then, after Grace King finished second in the 100 butterfly (1:09.19) to F-M’s Addie Antshel (1:08.36), Lily Buchholz took her turn at the top, requiring her to go 58.28 seconds to edge the Hornets’ Abbey Harris (58.32 seconds) by four-hundredths of a second in the 100 freestyle.
Returning for a second title, Leah King pulled away to win the 500 freestyle in 5:37.85, more than six seconds ahead of the field, while Buchholz ran away with the 100 backstroke in 1:07.30 and Rachel Teixeira took the 100 breaststroke in 1:19.97 over Ashley Drotar (1:21.55) and Ava Prochna (1:21.62). Buchholz, Teixeira and the King sisters went 4:01.68 to win in the 400 freestyle relay.
Skaneateles had another meet on Friday night, against North-Rose Wolcott, and quickly got back into the win column, prevailing 95-73 over the Cougars.
Teixeira swam the 200 freestyle in 2:11.61, later going 1:21.19 to edge Prochna (1:22.33) in the 100 breaststroke. Leah King tore through the 50 freestyle in 26.56 seconds and the 100 backstroke in 1:08.84 as Grace King went 6:01.47 in the 500 freestyle.
Keady claimed first place in the 200 IM in 2:35.80 before Drotar went 1:14.06 in the 100 butterfly and Buchholz got a time of 58.16 seconds in the 100 freestyle. In diving, Gabriella Capozza earned 190.7 points, ahead of Kyra Cottrill (166.1 points) and Carlee Pitman (146.15 points).
Competing in the relays, Skaneateles had Buchholz, Keady, Drotar and Grace King go 2:00.07 in the 200 medley before Teixeira joined Buchholz, Drotar and King to go 1:53.15 in the 200 freestyle relay. Finally, in the 400 freestyle relay, Keady, Buchholz, King and Mary Teixeira went 4:06.49.
Now at 7-2 on the season, Skaneateles would visit Baldwinsville on Wednesday night.
