CAMILLUS – When the Skaneateles girls swim team ended its seven-month wait to begin competition on Thursday night, West Genesee was waiting for them, perhaps not expecting just what it would have to face.
Specifically, it was junior Hana Spaulding immediately shot to the top of the Section III list in two different events to help the Lakers roll past the Wildcats 114-67.
To start with, in the 200-yard freestyle Spaulding tore to a time of one minute, 56.64 seconds, the quickest in the section during this abbreviated season.
Moving on to the 100 freestyle, Spaulding again posted the fastest sectional time of the season, finishing in 52.97 seconds, well clear of the 59.25 from WG’s Anna Ivery.
But Skaneateles had many different standouts in this meet, including Ashley Drotar, who won a pair of races, going 25.74 seconds in the 50 freestyle to edge Ivery (26.09) and 1:04.48 to take the 100 butterfly.
This meet began when Grace King, Lili Winkelman, Amelia Musso and Elizabeth Springer claimed the 200 medley relay in a time of 2:01.34. Musso was second in the 100 butterfly and Springer second
Winkelman went from there to winning the 200 individual medley, edging King, 2:34.19 to 2:36.71, and then posting the fastest 100 breaststroke of the night with 1:17.62 to Caitlin Comer’s 1:19.93.
King was victorious in the 100 backstroke in 1:08.37, while Ariana Matthews was first in the 500 freestyle in 5:40.50. On the diving board, Carlee Pitman had 193.80 points and Lexi Cottrill (183.97 points) was second.
Two nights earlier, WG had earned its first win of the season, going to Nottingham High School and, against the Syracuse City team, prevailing 96-82.
Ivery won twice for the Wildcats in individual races, going 2:34.54 to edge Allison Putnam (2:36.48) in the 200 IM before she went to the 100 freestyle and claimed first place in 1:00.91.
Not only that, but Ivery paired with Putnam, Mary Lyons and Kelly McManus to take the 200 medley relay in 2:17.05 before turning to the 200 freestyle relay and, paired with Lyons, Adriana Gill and Camille Bohli, winning in 2:00.56.
Gill also earned a pair of titles, beating the field in the 200 freestyle in 2:24.12 before she swam the 100 butterfly in 1:21.43 as Putnam went 6:09.38 in the 500 freestyle.
Julia Turton picked up 169.21 points in diving to go 1-2 with teammate Kelsie Bottari (153.07) as Lyons claimed second place in the 50 freestyle.
In its only meet next week, WG hosts Baldwinsville on Tuesday, two nights before Skaneateles, in the first of seven consecutive home meets, faces New Hartford.
