BALDWINSVILLE – Moving on without one of the finest athletes in program history was never going to be easy for the Baldwinsville girls swim team.
Eva Smith has graduated, having set a slew of school records while also twice recording top-10 finishes at the state championships in the 100-yard backstroke – seventh in 2022, eighth in 2023.
Now leaning on different swimmers, the Bees nearly upended rival Liverpool in Wednesday’s season opener at Baker High School, winning seven of 11 events only to take a 49-45 defeat.
Liverpool had eight second-place finishes to B’ville’s three and, with the outcome still in doubt, cruised to a win in the closing 400-yard freestyle relay for the clinching points.
Still, freshman Addie Atherton stepped up to win two individual races. In the 200 freestyle, Atherton prevailed in two minutes, 12.13 seconds, edging Natalie Thompson’s 2:13.22 for the visitors, and in the 100 breaststroke Atherton earned first place in 1:19.47, more than three seconds clear of Tori Erardi’s 1:22.63.
The meet started with the Bees’ quartet of Ahterton, Gwendolen Matt, Ella Mekker and Olivia McManus going 2:05.35 to top Liverpool (2:08.12) in the 200 medley relay, with Caydence Szkotak joining Mekker, McManus and Atherton to win a close 200 freestyle relay, 1:51.47 to the visitors’ 1:52.90.
Mekker stepped up in Smith’s specialty, the 100 backstroke, and won that race in 1:07.32 to beat out Arianna Kuznia (1:08.29) for first place. Szkotak pulled away in the 500 freestyle, her 6:06.88 well clear of Liverpool’s Izzy Akley (6:22.50)
McManus was victorious in the 100 butterfly, her 1:06.17 pulling away from Brielle Bryant’s 1:11.86. She also finished second in the 200 individual medley in 2:33.58 to the 2:28.52 from Bryant.
Mekker was second (28.78 seconds) and Matt fourth (29.72) in the 50 freestyle before a 100 freestyle where Addy Grosso got second-place points in 1:04.93.
Each of the Bees’ next three meets are on the road, beginning next Wednesday at West Genesee, with the next home meet not until Oct. 2 against Cicero-North Syracuse.
