Not only is Baldwinsville boys swimmer Nick Schultz performing well in local meets, he is taking his talents statewide and winning there, too.
Schultz again emerged victorious in the 100-yard breaststroke during the Jan. 4 Yeti Invitational at Webster Schroeder High School, near Rochester, where Liverpool was also in the field.
With a time of 57.76 seconds, Schultz nearly matched his 57.68 from the Dec. 27 Gary Griffn Sprint Invitational and handily beat this field, more than three seconds clear of runner-up Jacob Novozhenets (Pittsford), who posted 1:01.38.
Of greater importance for Schultz was his time of 53 seconds flat in the 100 butterfly, which qualified him for the state meet in March and was a close second to Pittsford’s Neil Mortimer, who won in 52.66 seconds.
In the 400 freestyle relay, Schultz, Bailey Ludden, John Burns and Tristan Miranda posted a season-best 3:28.11 to finish third, with Quinn Gruppe helping Schultz, Ludden and Burns get sixth place (1:44.28) in the 200 medley relay.
Ludden improved to 1:49.37 in the 200 freestyle to grab third place, also finishing eighth in the 500 freestyle in 5:03.82.
While everyone awaited next Wednesday’s showdown between B’ville and Liverpool, the Bees first had to host two other meets in the first full week of 2020.
Against Mexico last Tuesday, B’ville prevailed again, topping the Tigers 57-37 as Schultz went 1:02.30 in the 100 breaststroke this time after his win in the 200 freestyle in 1:56.83.
Ludden, in 50.92 seconds, topped Burns (53.03) in the 100 freestyle before he won the 100 backstroke in 1:01.75. Gruppe finished first in the 50 freestyle in 24.90 seconds and added a 100 butterfly victory in 1:00.82.
Sweeping the relays, B’ville had Schultz, Ludden, Burns and Jason Isbell go 1:47.02 in the 200 medley, with Harrison German joining Gruppe, Schultz and Ludden in going 1:37.96 in the 200 freestyle relay. The 400 freestyle relay has Gruppe, Burns, Harrison Meyers and Tristan Miranda finish in 3:40.74.
Then it was the Bees against Syracuse City on Friday night, and it moved to 6-0 on the season, the Bees prevailing by a score of 52-40.
Schultz went 2:01.53 in the 200 IM and 49.86 seconds to hold off Ludden (50.41) in the 100 freestyle, with Ludden also a close second (1:48.10) to Syracuse’s Belal Hamad (1:48.04) in the 200 freestyle.
Burns beat the field in the 100 butterfly in 57.66 seconds, with Gruppe taking the 50 freestyle in 25.15 seconds over Isbell (26.13). Aidan Solomon had the quickest time in the 100 backstroke in 1:05.83 to Isbell’s 1:07.33.
In the 200 freestyle relay, Schultz, Burns, Gruppe and Ludden went 1:37.90, this following a 200 medley relay where Isbell, Burns, Gruppe and Becket Plumley finished in 1:48.10. Ludden, Burns, Schultz and Meyers tore to 3:35.26 in the 400 freestyle relay.
Right after B’ville hosts Liverpool, it competes next Friday and Saturday in the Salt City Athletic Conference championship meet.
