With a 1-2 record going into last week’s pair of meets, the Liverpool girls swim team had a lot of catching up to do, and the opposition would not make it easy for them.
In last Tuesday’s meet against visiting Skaneateles, the Warriors had to pull out several close individual races that, combined with its superior depth, produced a 100-81 victory over the Lakers.
Delaney Gellert claimed one of those thrillers in the 200-yard freestyle, as she finished in two minutes, 6.26 seconds, just ahead of the 2:06.70 from Skaneateles star Lily Buchholz. Gellert also won the 100 freestyle in 58.36 seconds.
Later, in the 100 backstroke, it was Megan Winn pulling out a tight race over Buchholz, 1:08.13 to 1:08.70, while in the 100 butterfly Jessica Testone had her turn, finishing in 1:07.38 to the 1:07.72 from the Lakers’ Alice Spaulding.
Jaida Fox won the shortest race (50 freestyle, 27.36 seconds) and the longest race (500 freestyle, 5:46.79), with Sophia Recuparo getting 210.05 points to finish first in diving.
In the 200 freestyle relay, Fox and Gellert, paired with Testone and Sophia Russo, roared to a victory in 1:48.26, this after Russo, Testone, Samantha Walker and Laney Moore went 2:05.55 to take the 200 medley relay.
Two days later, Liverpool faced Jamesville-DeWitt, and while it had plenty of top finishes, the Red Rams won most of the individual races and held off the Warriors 96-90.
Gellert, in 26.14 seconds, beat J-D’s Emma Galletta (26.31) in the 50 freestyle, while Recuparo earned 210.50 points in diving, part of a1-2-3 sweep with Macy Moore (180.25 points) and Aija McIntyre (170.70 points).
Fox needed 5:43.16 to cruise to first place in the 500 freestyle as she also was second (2:08.44) to J-D’s Sawyer Parker (2:05.90) in the 200 freestyle. Gellert was second in the 100 butterfly to J-D’s Amelia Hesler, who also won the 200 IM.
Dominique DeRuijter nearly won the 100 backstroke, her 1:05.62 just behind the 1:05.43 from the Rams’ Emily Ninestein. To close the meet, Fox, Gellert, Testone and Russo went 3:54.56 to edge J-D’s 3:54.63 in the 400 freestyle relay.
