In very different manners, the Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool girls swim teams got underway on Thursday night.
For the Northstars, it meant a trip to Baldwinsville and very little stress against a modest-sized Bees squad as Brooke Fedi, Bryn Myers and Grace Devinney led the way in a 52-40 win over the Bees.
Fedi would swim the 200-yard individual medley in two minutes, 20.49 seconds, and then win the 100 butterfly in 1:05.74. Devinney went 2:09.92 in the 200 freestyle and then claimed the 500 freestyle in 5:55.17.
While those were familiar names, Myers broke out in the sprints, going 26.60 seconds to take the 50 freestyle and then getting first place in the 100 freestyle in 59.49 seconds.
To start the meet, Devinney, Fedi, Myers and Jeanne Vinette would claim first place in the 200 medley relay in 2:01.48, followed by a 200 freestyle relay where Brandi Feeney joined Fedi, Myers and Devinney to win in 1:50 flat. Feeney, in 1:20.97, edged Brittany Wood (1:21.43) for the quickest time in the 100 breaststroke.
Meanwhile, Liverpool had to face the reigning Section III Class A champions from Fayetteville-Manlius, whose depth proved far too much as it defeated the Warriors 100-53.
Mostly, where Liverpool got points was with second-place finishes. Jaida Fox had one in the 200 freestyle (2:09.15) while also finishing third in the 100 butterfly as Delaney Gellert was second in the 50 freestyle in 26.57 seconds.
Sophia Recuparo earned 185.63 points on the diving board, second to F-M’s Alessandra Manicone (186.45) as Gellert, Laney Moore, Natalie Petit and Megan Winn were second in the 200 medley relay in 2:04.36.
Cara Campell and Emma Lutrell paced the Hornets, each winning twice as Campell took the 50 freestyle (25.96 seconds) and 100 freestyle (57.06 seconds), with Lutrell victorious in the 500 freestyle (5:29.44) and 100 butterfly (1:03.76).
All of this was the prelude to a head-to-head meet Tuesday between C-NS and Liverpool at the Le Moyne College pool the Northstars still call home. C-NS then meets Syracuse on Thursday night at Nottingham High School.
