While it’s made all sorts of history during its recent string of Section III Class C titles, the Skaneateles girls swim team found itself on the other side of an historic occasion during last week’s action.
When the Lakers lost, 96-90, to Syracuse last Tuesday night at Nottingham High School, it marked Syracuse’s first victory in any head-to-head meet in five years. Not since 2012, and a victory over Fayetteville-Manlius, had Syracuse defeated any opponent.
The meet had five lead changes, with Skaneateles taking the first race as Lily Buchholz, Grace King, Ava Prochna and Alice Spaulding covered the 200-yard medley relay in two minutes, 7.77 seconds, well clear of Syracuse’s 2:16.85.
Where it started to turn was with Orla Lacey giving Syracuse a 200 freestyle win in 2:04.27 to Buchholz’s 2:06.25. Lacey also won the 500 freestyle in 5:29.95 as teammate Niamh Lacey claimed the 50 freestyle in 27.59 seconds and added a 100 backstroke title in 1:10.92.
Skaneateles countered with Buchholz winning the 100 freestyle in 56.66 seconds, with Spaulding going 1:10.99 to edge Ana Kreidler-Siwinski (1:11.72) in the 100 butterfly. Ava Prochna won the 100 breaststroke in 1:20 flat.
Gabriella Capozza, with 186.7 seconds, was just behind Syracuse’s Alexania Foster (192.05) in diving, with Kyra Cottrill third (175.45 points) to go with second place in the 100 backstroke as King was second in the 500 freestyle.
Buchholz, Capozza, Spaulding and King easily won the 200 freestyle in 1:52.59. Still, the points were vulnerable in the closing 400 freestyle relay and Syracuse would go 1-2, winning the meet as Kreidler-Siwinski, Julia Fay, Orla Lacey and Niamh Lacey winning it in 4:07.46.
On Saturday, Skaneateles competed in the Watertown Invitational, finishing fourth out of nine sides with 148 points. Buchholz won the 50 freestyle, blazing to a time of 25.71 seconds and then prevailing in the 100 freestyle in 57.36 seconds as King was second in the 100 butterfly in 1:07.16.
