Without question, the Liverpool girls swim team gained lots of confidence from its first win over Cicero-North Syracuse in four years.
That Sept. 19 victory was followed, a week later, by the Warriors taking on another established power, Christian Brothers Academy, and the meet wasn’t decided until the final race as Liverpool rallied for a 94-92 win over the Brothers.
CBA claimed each of the first two events, the 200 medley relay (2:00.79) and 200 freestyle, where Darien Tompkins prevailed in 2:06.18 to edge Maddie Rose’s 2:07.46.
Ali Testone gave Liverpool its first title when she swam the 200 individual medley in 2:18.64 as Jessica Testone and Avery Clarke tied for second in the 50 freetstyle, both posting 27.50 seconds.
A diving duel between the Warriors’ Sarah LaValley and the Brothers’ Sam Lanzafame ended with LaValley getting 229.70 points to Lanzafame’s 228.05, with Sophia Recuparo third to put Liverpool back in front of the team scores at 40-38.
Then it was CBA’s turn to lead thanks to wins by Julia Torell in the 100 butterfly and Tompkins in the 100 freestyle in 58.03 seconds. In the 200 freestyle relay, the Brothers had Kelly, Bushnell, Tompkins and Katelyn Wendt win in 1:47.03 to Liverpool’s 1:49.25.
Rose won for Liverpool in the 500 freestyle in 5:48.73 over Katie Toole’s 5:57.63 and, two races later, Ali Testone prevailed a second time in the 100 backstroke in a season-best 1:03.78. Still, with Kelly winning the 100 breaststroke in 1:09.06, CBA led, 88-84, with one race left.
Liverpool put together Rose, Testone, Jaida Fox and Delaney Gellert for the 400 freestyle relay, and together, their time of 3:55.77, combined with a third-place effort from Lauren Flynn, Natalie Petit, Nina Strom and Lauren Flynn, helped the Warriors get the clinching points.
Cicero-North Syracuse hosted Jamesville-DeWitt last Tuesday night at Le Moyne College, and got overwhelmed in a 109-75 defeat to the Red Rams.
Only once did the Northstars win a race – the closing 400 freestyle relay where Brandi Feeney, Grace Devinney, Jeanne Vinette and Alyssa LaFace posted 4:14.72. J-D had three swimmers prevail twice – Emma Galletta (50 freestyle, 100 butterfly), Amelia Hesler (200 IM, 100 freestyle) and Alexis Phillips (200 freestyle, 500 freestyle).
Olivia Griffin was second in the 50 freestyle in 27.62 seconds, adding a runner-up finish in the 100 freestyle in 1:01.30. Vinette was second in the 100 butterfly (1;13.06) and Sarah Walter got second in the 100 backstroke (1:08.16) as Kamryn Lenning was runner-up in the 500 freestyle. Madeline Thorne, with 198.10 points, was close behind J-D’s Lauren Saletsky (217.05 points) in the diving competition.
C-NS would have its own meet against Mexico early this week as Liverpool hosted Auburn Tuesday and takes on New Hartford Friday night.
