CENTRAL NEW YORK – With the Section III Class A championship from 2021-22 secure in its grasp, the Fayetteville-Manlius boys swim team now set out on its quest to stay at the top.
The Hornets met Baldwinsville in its Dec. 3 season opener at Cazenovia College and, despite some fine individual performances from the Bees, still prevailed by a 95-83 margin.
To start out, F-M’s 200-yard medley relay quartet of Derick Wang, Carter Page, Max Vidakovic and James Cao posted a top time of one minute, 55.61 seconds, edging the 1:55.76 from B’ville.
Wang and Vidakovic returned to help Jack Antshel and Ben Mathews take the 200 freestyle relay in 1:49.30 as Vidakovic, on his own, swept to titles in the 200 individual medley in 2:12.76 and 100 butterfly in 59.55 seconds.
In the 100 breaststroke, Wang finished first in 1:15.19 after taking second in the 50 freestyle in 23.92 seconds. Page was second in the 100 backstroke in 1:02.31 and Mathews went 5:49.35 in the 500 freestyle for second place.
Swimming again at home last Thursday against West Genesee, the Hornets improved to 2-0, handling the Wildcats 94-75 wit Vidakovic again at the forefront.
In the 200 IM, Vidakovic, in 2:21.42, beat Zach Mangoba’s 2:27.56, followed by a 100 butterfly where Vidakovic went 1:01.35 and Mangoba (1:02.91) again was runner-up.
Cao took the 100 freestyle in 54.99 seconds and was second (1:05.16) in the 100 backstroke to Page’s 1:02.79. Mathews went 5:46.78 to prevail in the 500 freestyle and Wang, in 24.65 seconds, topped Antshel (25.51) in the 50 freestyle.
To open the meet, Antshel, Vodakovic, Page and Anthony Bottar took the 200 medley relay in 1;51.80 before Wang and Mathews joined Ansthel and Vodakovic to go 1:51.29 in the 200 freestyle relay.
Jamesville-DeWitt/Christian Brothers Academy also made it two wins in as many meets last Tuesday night when it faced Pulaski and earned a 50-36 victory over the Blue Devils.
The Red Rams mostly rested its top swimmers in individual events, but still saw Lucien Zens go 56.86 seconds in the 100 freestyle to edge Malcolm Britz (58.65) for the top spot.
Liam Wasserman, in 28.65 seconds, topped Andrew Joseph (29.23) in the 50 freestyle, while Kyler Huyck swam the 100 backstroke in 1:04.47 and Jacob Price went 1:24.49 in the 100 breaststroke. Luke Marino emerged to take the 100 butterfly in 1:02.06.