LIVERPOOL – No other girls swimmer in the Section III ranks compares with the times and performances that Baldwinsville senior Eva Smith has put together in nearly race at a high school distance.
So it was Smith leading the Bees into the 2023 season Wednesday night at Liverpool, again displaying her gifts even as her team took a 102-79 defeat to the Warriors.
In the opening 200-yard medley relay, Smith, paired with Addy Grosso, Eliza Gramiak and Mia Rinko, finished in two minutes, 4.52 seconds, beating Liverpool’s top four by more than 12 seconds.
Right after that, in the 200 individual medley, Smith won in 2:15.42, more than 20 seconds clear of anyone else, before a 100 freestyle where, in 55.55 seconds, she topped the 58.62 from Liverpool’s Kaitlyn Thompson.
Gramiak won, too, going 1:24.19 to edge the Warriors’ Natalie Thompson (1:25.39) in the 100 breaststroke and finishing second in the 100 butterfly in 1:12.92 as Grosso was second in the 200 freestyle in 2:21.57.
Caydence Szkotak went 6:19.76 for second place in the 500 freestyle, With Grosso second (1:11.97) and Erin Gruppe third (1:15.27) in the 100 backstroke to go with Szkotak’s third in the 200 freestyle. When Smith, Rinko, Gruppe and Gramiak swam the 200 freestyle relay in 1:50.52, it took Liverpool going 1:48.45 to win it.
B’ville has the rest of its September meets at home in the Baker High School pool, starting next Tuesday when it faces West Genesee before CBA and Jamesville-DeWitt visit later in the month.