CENTRAL NEW YORK – All through December, the Baldiwnsville boys swim team swung back and forth between victories and defeats, at least in terms of team scores.
Such was the case again on Dec. 16 when the Bees, two days removed from a win over Pulaski, went to Mexico and took a 102-78 defeat to the Tigers.
Half that margin – 13 points – came from Mexico going 1-2-3 in an uncontested diving event, where Kian Long managed to prevail with 257.70 points.
Even with that, Mikey White still found a way to be part of all four of B’ville’s winning efforts, starting with a top time of 23.23 seconds in the 50 freestyle that edged the 23.85 from Mexico’s Calvin Hitzschke.
In the 100 freestyle, White’s 50.68 seconds was part of a 1-2 finish with Harrison Meyers, who went 52.41 and then helped White, Ben Webster and Matthew Lange win a thrilling 200 freestyle relay, the Bees’ 1:35.53 just three-hundredths of a second ahead of the Tigers’ 1:35.56.
Then, to close out the meet, B’ville had a bigger victory in the 400 freestyle relay, with White, Lange, Webster and Meyers returning to win in 3:35.74, well clear of Mexico’s 3;45.67.
Lange twice finished second, in the 200 freestyle (1:59.89) and 100 backstroke (1:03.55), with Jayden Miranda third in that even to go with a second in the 500 freestyle in 6:01.03.
Meyers went 2:15.66 for second place in the 200 individual medley, while Keenan Smith went 1:14.32 for a runner-up finish in the 100 breaststroke. Collin Hatch led Mexico, winning the 200 freestyle in 1:57.04 and the 500 freestyle in 5:20.20.
B’ville went from there to last Tuesday’s meet with West Genesee, where it controlled matters from the outset to defeat the Wildcats 51-41.
At the outset, White, Lange, Webster and Trevor Kantak won the 200 medley relay in 1:52.42, with White going on to take the 200 IM in 2:09.74 as Lange went 24.41 seconds to prevail in the 50 freestyle and Kantak won the 100 backstroke in 1:02.70.
Meyers needed 52.82 seconds to hold off Lange (54.05) in the 100 freestyle after Webster took the 100 butterfly in 1:06.98. Lucas Clay prevailed in the 500 freestyle in 6:00.30, with Keenan Smith taking the 100 breaststroke in 1:12.94.
Webster, Meyers, Zach Ehrig and Treygan St. John took the 200 freestyle relay in 1:45.19 as Clay, White, Meyers and Miranda went 3:50.30 in the 400 freestyle relay.
