CENTRAL NEW YORK – As its 2022-23 season got underway, the Baldwinsville boys swim team found itself dealing with the reigning Section III Class A champions.
Fayetteville-Manlius hosted the Bees on Dec. 2 at Cazenovia College and overcame many fine individual performances to prevail by a 93-83 margin.
Matt Lange led B’ville, his time of 23.50 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle well clear of the 23.92 from F-M’s Derick Wang before a 100 backstroke where Lange rolled to first place in 58.20 seconds.
Alex Nicita would prevail in the 200 freestyle in 2:00.31 and, then, in a close 100 freestyle, go 53.57 seconds as part of a 1-2 finish with teammate Lucas Clay, who posted 54.99.
Jayden Miranda, who was third in the 200 freestyle behind Nicita, won the 500 freestyle in 5:43.43 as Eljiah Bettinger finished with a clocking of 1:18.90 in the 100 breaststroke, good for second place.
Lange, Mason Stever, Ben Webster and Colin Szkotak went 1:55.76 in the 200 medley relay, just behind F-M’s winning 1:55.71 as Szkotak, Bettinger, Zach Ehrig and Graham Jackson went 1:50.97 in the 200 freestyle relay.
Back home Thursday night, B’ville faced another traditional power, Liverpool, who prevailed 51-42 over the Bees despite another fine effort from Lange.
In just 50.64 seconds, Lange pulled away from the Warriors’ Trevor Selig (52.38) to win the 100 freestyle and then was victorious in the 100 backstoke in 59.27, edging Jack Cavallerano’s 59.48.
Nicita was second in the 200 freestyle in 2:00.31, while Clay went 5:19.08 in the 400 freestyle, a close second to Nathan Alexander’s 5:17.97.
B’ville also swept the relays. Miranda, Webster, Stever and Kennan Smith went 1:58.20 in the 200 medley to Liverpool’s 1:59.15 before Lange joined Webster, Nicita and Manny Sima for 1:37.67 in the 200 freestyle relay.
Finally, in the 400 freestyle relay, Lange, Nicita, Szkotak and Clay got together and, in 3:39.52, beat the Warriors’ 3:45.79, an encouraging conclusion as the Bees swim next Tuesday at Jamesville-DeWitt.
