Looking for a 2-0 start, the West Genesee girls swim team hosted New Hartford Thursday night, but could not quite keep up in a 96-82 defeat to the Spartans.
Unable to secure any points in the opening 200-yard medley relay, the Wildcats were shut out of individual victories until Hannah Murdock, in the 50 freestyle, prevailed in 26.57 seconds.
WG only won two other individual races as Taylor McFadden went 1:09.40 to prevail in the 100 butterfly and Devon Burnside was first in the 100 breaststroke in 1:18.19.
Twice, Allison Putnam finished second, in the 200 freestyle (2:08.87) and 500 freestyle (5:52.47), while Maggie Smith was second in the 100 backstroke in 1:13.76 and Kelsie Bottari earned 168.85 points in diving for a runner-up finish.
Julia Ficano and Emma Burke led New Hartford with two wins apiece, Ficano taking the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle and Burke first in the 100 backstroke and 200 individual medley.
In the first of two meets in a 48-hour span, Skaneateles traveled to New Hartford two days before WG faced them, and took its first defeat of the season, falling to the Spartans 103-80.
Lily Buchholz was victorious in the 100 freestyle, her time of 58.49 seconds just ahead of the 58.80 from New Hartford’s Riley Brennen. Buccholz also was second in the 200 freestyle in 2:07.42.
Grace King got to first place in the 100 butterfly, edging the Spartans’ Isabella Freiberger, 1:08.51 to 1:09.28, while also getting second place in the 100 backstroke in 1:09.99.
Lili Winkelman twice had second-place finishes, in the 200 IM (2:34.34) and 500 freestyle (6:07.91), while Caitlin Comer was second in the 50 freestyle (27.66 seconds) and 100 breaststroke (1:21.38). Lexi Cottrill earned 172.10 points in diving, beating out Carlee Pitman (162.85) for the runner-up spot.
King, Cottrill, Winkelman and Lily Buchholz went 2:03.86 for second place in the 200 medley relay before Comer joined Cottrill, Buchholz and Allison Cirincione to get second place in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:59.11.
Two nights later, hosting Cicero-North Syracuse, Skaneateles lost again, 97-84 as a series of close races went in the Northstars’ favor, starting with the 200 medley relay, where in 1:59.52 the Lakers were just behind C-NS’s 1:59.43.
Winkelman still won twice, going 2:30.09 to prevail in the 200 IM and then getting first place in the 100 breaststroke in 1:14.60.
Buchholz, in 26.16 seconds, edged C-NS’s Alayna Harbaugh (26.33) to claim the 50 freestyle, while King held off the Northstars’ Kate Gucciardi, 1:06.64 to 1:07.32, in the 100 butterfly.
But in those close races, Buccholz was second (1:04.55) to Gucciardi (1:04.32) in the 100 backstroke as Comer, in 2:14.53, was just behind C-NS’s Grace Devinney (2:14.00) in the 200 freestyle.Elizabeth Springer finished second in the 100 freestyle.
After a week to rest, Skaneateles hosts Christian Brothers Academy next Friday. West Genesee faces Fulton Tuesday at Granby Elementary School in Fulton, which the Warriors are using as a home facility while its athletic complex is undergoing a year-long renovation.
