In terms of opening assignments, the West Genesee boys swim team could not have picked a more difficult one.
The Wildcats had to pay a visit to Liverpool Wednesday night, where the reigning Section III Class A champions relied on its depth to overcome a string of fine individual efforts that WG put up during a 99-87 defeat.
Evan Tuthill gave the Wildcats a first-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle in 23.99 seconds, while Ryan Hagadorn, who was third in that event (25.43 seconds), earned a victory of his own in the 100 breaststroke in 1;06.56, part of a 1-2 WG effort as Zach Zoanetti finished second in 1:09.96.
Also going 1-2 in the diving competition, the Wildcats saw Peter Bowman prevail with 197.5 points, edging out teammate Adriel Schoeck (191.45 points) for the top spot.
Nate Gdula, Matt Shoults, Ryan McMahon and Cameron Chao were victorious in the 400 freestyle relay in 3:45.86 following a series of top finishes in other events.
Gdula, in 1:55.27, finished second to Liverpool’s J.J. Ross (1:54.27) in the 200 freestyle, while Zoanetti took second (2:26.33) and Chao third (2:28.95) behind the Warriors’ Curtis Merrick (2:14.22) in the 200 individual medley.
Moving to the 100 freestyle, Gdula, in 51.36 seconds, again was in second place, this time behind Liverpool’s Tom Griffin, who won in 50.69 seconds while also taking the 100 backstroke in 1:02.11 over WG’s Brian Salmonsa, who got second place in 1:04.59.
McMahon made it to second place in the 500 freestyle in 5;37.09 and Shoults was third in 5;47 flat, though the Warriors’ Griffin O’Neil pulled away to win in 5:19.32. Alex Shuron had a third-place time of 1:05.83 in the 100 butterfly.
WG would have its home opener next Wednesday, when it takes on the Oswego Buccaneers.
