BALDWINSVILLE – Every single point was important to the Baldwinsville girls swim team in order to pick up its first victory of the 2023 season.
Up against West Genesee Tuesday night at Baker High School, the Bees had to work all the way to the final event on the slate before it could put away the Wildcats 51-44.
Again, Eva Smith stood out, especially in the 200-yard freestyle where she maintained her level all the way to the finish and broke the two-minute mark, winning in 1:59.95.
This happened right after an opening 200 medley relay where Smith, paired with Addy Grosso, Eliza Gramiak and Mia Rinko, pulled away to win in 2:06.80 to WG’s 2:20.30.
In the 100 butterfly, Smith prevailed in 1:03.52, yet the meet was still in doubt heading into the closing 400 freestyle relay. So, swimming the anchor leg after Rinko, Erin Gruppe and Caydence Szkotak, Smith led the Bees to a clinching title in 4:06.57.
Szkotak had already won the 500 freestyle in 6:09.92 and would add a second individual title in the 100 backstroke, her 1:14.70 beating out the 1:18.81 from the Wildcats’ Kelly McManus.
Gramiak chimed in when she won the 100 breaststroke in 1:23.98 over WG’s Mackenzie Dunham (1:25.99), while Mia Rinko was a close second in the sprints, going 27.43 seconds in the 50 freestyle to Maddie Owczarzak’s 27.19 and 1:01.85 in the 100 freestyle behind Owczarzak (59.33) as Grosso was third.
A closely-fought 200 freestyle relay had Grosso, Gruppe, Graniak and Gwendolen Matt finished in 1:57.94, not far from the Wildcats’ 1:56.92.
B’ville is home again next Tuesday for a meet against Christian Brothers Academy.
