Having already earned a second-place finish in the CNY Counties League for 2016-17, the Baldwinsville boys swim team had one more regular-season meet before next week’s Section III championships.
The Bees ventured to Oswego Tuesday night and, leading from the outset, prevailed, 90-81, over the Buccaneers, improving its overall record to 8-1, its lone blemish a Jan. 5 defeat to Liverpool.
B’ville got going in the 200-yard medley relay, where Nick Schultz, Jonathan Oad, Evan Bohman and Mark Dickson finished in one minute, 54.82 seconds to beat out Oswego’s time of 1:56.62. Schultz would also win the 200 individual medley in 2:10.89 and swim the fastest time of 1:04.50 in the 100 breaststroke.
Ryan Hiltbrand won twice, going 1:54.82 to beat out the Bucs’ Josh Thomas (1:56.62) in the 200 freestyle, and then going to the 100 freestyle and, in 52.28 seconds, edge Thomas (52.96 seconds) in another head-to-head clash.
Meanwhile, Alex Hiltbrand claimed the other sprint, winning the 50 freestyle in 23.45 seconds over Brandon Formoza (25.10 seconds) in the runner-up spot. Hiltbrand would roar through the 100 freestyle in 56 seconds flat, with Bohman second in 1:00.99 and John Burns third in 1:03.88.
Bailey Ludden made his way to the top in the 100 backstroke, going 1:09.69, and also got third place in the 100 freestyle in 57.77 seconds. This followed a 200 freestyle relay where Schultz, Formoza, Hiltbrand and John Licciardello prevailed in 1:38.76, inches ahead of Oswego’s 1:38.80.
Oad was third in the 200 IM in 2:15.33, while Licciardello was third in the 200 freestyle in 1:57.48 before a second-place clocking of 5:17.65 in the 500 freestyle behind Oswego’s Austin Richardson (5:09.89) as Formoza was third in 5:36.99. Formoza, Burns and the Hiltbrand brothers had a time of 3:33.73 in the 400 freestyle relay.
Next Thursday at Nottingham High School, B’ville vies for sectional Class A honors, with the state qualifier set for Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. Top finishers and best times will advance to the March 3-4 state championships at Nassau County Aquatic Center on Long Island.
