SYRACUSE – A season’s worth of work for Skaneateles boys swimmer Gavin Van Kersberen culminated with his victory in the 100-yard butterfly during Friday’s Section III state qualifying meet at Nottingham High School.
This followed Wednesday’s Class C sectional meet where Van Kersbergen was named the meet’s outstanding swimmer after he won the 100-yard butterfly in a season-best 51.44 seconds and then took the 100 backstroke in 53.48.
Now, up against all of the large-school stars the state qualifier, Van Kersbergen didn’t repeat that effort, but his 52.32 in the 100 butterfly was still enough to hold off Fulton’s T.J. Clayton (52.50) for the top spot.
In the 100 backstroke, Van Kersbergen challenged Jamesville-DeWitt/CBA superstar Nathaniel Wales. Again, the time wasn’t as quick, 53.80 seconds, but he still got second place as Wales won in 51.54, both on their way to Ithaca College March 3-4 for the state championships.
Back in the sectional Class A meet on Wednesday, West Genesee finished 10th among 14 teams, its best finish coming from eighth-grader Gavin Flanagan as he took third place in the 500 freestyle in 5:14.60.
Flanagan also got ninth place in the 200 freestyle in 1:56.95 as he, along with Ryan Goshow, Matt Keiling and David Martin, were eighth in the 200 medley relay in a season-best 1:48.91.
Ethan Martin had 401.05 points to take eighth place in diving, with Seth Burlingame (291.75) in 15th place, but Martin had already surpassed the 450-point threshold earlier this season to earn a trip to the state meet.
Goshow stood out in the 100 backstroke, rising to seventh place in a season-best 59.47 seconds, the first time he broke the one-minute mark this winter. David Martin got 10th place in the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.06.
Also, Goshow took 13th in the 200 individual medley in 2:15.93. Martin, Angus Tarolli Ryan Limpert and Brady Smith were 13th in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:48.41.
During Friday’s state qualifier, Flanagan improved to 5:14.36 in the 500 freestyle and finished fourth, while Goshow was 13th in the 100 backstroke in 59.82 seconds.
