ONONDAGA COUNTY –
While roaring its way to a 5-0 start, the Liverpool girls swim team still understood that its toughest meets of this abbreviated season still lay ahead.
When they arrived last week, the Warriors were more than up to these challenges, putting together a string of memorable performances even as it lost to Christian Brothers Academy and Fayetteville-Manlius.
The narrow 94-92 defeat to CBA wasn’t decided until the Brothers secured second in the closing 400-yard freesetyle relay, even as Liverpool’s quartet of Delaney Gellert, Emerson Gellert, Kaitlyn Thompson and Sophia Russo prevailed in three minutes, 53.83 seconds to CBA’s 3:55.86.
Earlier, in the 200 freestyle relay, Liverpool got past CBA thanks to Thompson, Russo, Kerry Hunter and Delaney Gellert, who went 1:45.19, the best time in Section III this season.
And though the Brothers won most of the individual events, Delaney Gellert did edge Darien Tompkins, 24.47 seconds to 24.76, in the 50 freestyle as Sophia Recuparo prevailed in diving with 212.25 points, with Aija McIntyre (196.65) in the runner-up spot.
Six other races had Liverpool finishing second, from Delaney Gellert’s 100 breaststroke (1:12.03) to Emerson Gellert (100 butterfly, 1:07.86), Russo (200 freestyle, 2:16.09), Thompson (100 freestyle, 57.17 seconds), Chloe Brown (500 freestyle, 6:02.59) and Domenique DeRuijter (100 backstroke, 1:08.13).
Two pool records were set, by CBA’s Kayla Newman taking the 500 freestyle in 5:09.67 and by Lauren Kelly going 1:07.13 in the 100 breaststroke. Newman also won the 200 freesetyle in 1:56.40 and Kelly took the 200 individual medley in 2:19.44.
Now came the meet against F-M, where Liverpool again put up a brave effort, only to get overwhelmed by the Hornets’ depth in a 96-85 defeat.
There was a classic battle in the 200 freestyle where Delaney Gellert, in 1:58.61, beat out the 1:58.68 from F-M’s Emma Luttrell, followed by a 100 freestyle where Gellert tore to first place in 54.88 seconds.
In diving McIntyre, with 201.75 points, held off Makenna Dudley (200.40) for top honors. Thompson was second in both the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke, where her 1:07.66 was just behind the 1:06.42 from the Hornets’ Hali Seidberg.
Thompson, Gellert, Russo and Hunter went 1:45.31 in the 200 freestyle relay, but F-M prevailed with 1:44.31 as Russo, Thompson and the Gellert sisters got a time of 3:56.17 in the 400 freestyle relay.
While all this was going on, Cicero-North Syracuse went to West Genesee last Tuesday and, improving to 3-2 on the season, defeated the Wildcats 99-82.
Kate Gucciardi won twice for the Northstars, going 2:34.06 in the 200 IM as she also swam the 100 butterfly in 1:08.47 to edge Brittany Wood’s 1:10.77.
Kaitlyn Carroll picked up 244.65 points in diving as Bryn Myers took the 200 freestyle in 2:12.77 and Grace Devinney was victorious in the 500 freestyle in 5:52.14. Maria Kasarda had the quickest 100 breaststroke time of 1:21.19.
Of the relays, C-NS did best in the 200 freestyle, where Myers, Carroll, Gianna Raineri and Natalina VanTassel posted 1:46.20 after the Northstars took the 200 medley relay in 2:05.89.
At Jamesville-DeWitt on Saturday, C-NS made it back-to-back victories and moved to 4-2 overall, pulling away to top the Red Rams 102-83, with Carroll improving her diving score to 266.18 points to win again.
To start the meet, Gucciardi, Cassidy Svoboda, Alayna Harbaugh and Brittany Wood tore to a winning time of 1:59.47 in the 200 medley relay. Svoboda, in 1:16.80, was a close second to Claire Huyck (1:16.34) in the 100 breaststroke.
Later, Gucciardi was first in the 100 backstroke in 1:05.11 and Harbaugh had a top 50 freestyle time of 26.74 seconds, while Myers claimed the 200 freestyle in 2:11.91. Ella Lawrence beat the field in the 500 freestyle in 6:17.61. Wood finished second in the 200 IM in 2:35.52.
