Just when it was needed, the Liverpool girls swim team found its best form and reclaimed the advantage in its rivalry with Cicero-North Syracuse.
The Warriors, trailing for most of Tuesday night’s meet at Le Moyne College, won each of the last six races on the card, eventually gaining the points it needed for a 100-86 victory over the Northstars.
Liverpool’s depth began to show when Jessica Testone, in 58.41 seconds, held off C-NS’s Bryn Myers (59.02) in the 100-yard freestyle, which was followed by Jaida Fox pulling away to win the 500 freestyle in 5:45.68.
The 200 freestyle relay followed as Fox and Testone, joined by Delaney Gellert and Natalie Petit, finished in 1:47.84, less than a second ahead of the Northstars’ 1:48.44. That tied the meet 70-70.
To move ahead for good, the Warriors engineered a 1-2-3 sweep of the 100 backstroke, Domenique DeRuijter prevailing in 1:06.94 ahead of Megan Winn (1:08.89) and Samantha Walker (1:08.98).
Gellert, who had already beaten Testone, 26.15 seconds to 26.66, in the 50 freestyle, returned to win the 100 breaststroke in 1:14.20. Then Liverpool clinched it when Gellert, Petit, Walker and Sophia Russo won the 400 freestyle relay in 4:05.03.
C-NS had won most of the early races, starting with the 200 medley relay as Myers, Brooke Fedi, Alyson McRobbie and Brittany Wood finished in 2:01.81 to Liverpool’s 2:03.70.
Fedi followed up with a pair of individual titles, going 2:22.62 to dominate the 200 individual medley and claiming the 100 butterfly in 1:06.54. Devinney, in 2:07.55, got past Fox (2:10.25) in the 200 freestyle.
The Northstars also claimed the top two spots on the diving board as Madeline Thorne earned 213.60 points, holding off Kaitlyn Carroll (206.30 points).
Sophia Recuparo (179.20 points) was third for Liverpool in diving, while Russo gave the Warriors crucial points with her second-place finishes in the 200 IM (2:37.04) and 100 butterfly (1:09.94).
Looking to bounce back, C-NS faced Syracuse City on Thursday at Nottingham High School, and salvaged a split from the week, prevailing by a score of 98-81.
Fedi went 27.28 seconds to win the 50 freestyle, also pairing with Heather Leonardi, Ryleigh Lenning and Grace Devinney to go 2:10.83 and get first place in the 200 medley relay before winning the 100 breaststroke in 1:11.94.
Myers edged Syracuse’s Julia Fay, 1:00.07 to 1:00.24, in the 100 freestyle, this after finishing second in the 200 freestyle in 2:14.32. Kathryn Devinney took her turn at the top in the 200 IM, winning in 2:31.88 as Wood (2:35.10) was second.
In addition to winning the 100 butterfly in 1:10.27, Alayna Harbaugh joined Myers, Wood and Jeanne Vinette to swim the 200 freestyle relay in 1:50.98.
Again, the diving competition was a tight one, but once again Thorne won it with 206.75 points to Carrool’s 201.85. Grace Devinney was first in the 100 backstroke in 1:11.94.
Liverpool, after beating C-NS, would rest until it meets Auburn next week. C-NS faces Christian Brothers Academy (whose own meet with Liverpool was moved to Oct. 2) and then faces Jamesville-DeWitt.
