ITHACA – All season long Skaneateles boys swimmer Gavin Van Kersbergen had to meld his considerable talents with those of teammates mostly from Weedsport during league and large-scale meets.
This changed, though, when Van Kersbergen returned to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships last weekend at Ithaca College, where he hoped to medal in two events – and did so in the 100-yard butterfly.
In that race Van Kersbergen entered the state meet as the no. 11 seed with a time of 50.85 seconds, just behind the 50.47 of Liverpool’s Jack Cavallerano.
Both would qualify for the finals and improve their times, Van Kersbergen improving to 50.36 to qualify sixth for the finals and Cavallerano posting 50.09 in fourth place.
Then, in Saturday’s championship race, Van Kersbergen would finish with 50.56 which put him in eighth place . Hoosic Valley’s Christian Jerome prevailed in 48.04 as Cavallerano, with 50.02, rose to fourthp lace.
Van Kersbergen was the ninth seed in the 100-yard backstroke with his best time of 51.56 seconds this winter. Though he posted 51.70 in the qualifying round, it still moved him to the finals in ninth place.
Just as in the 100 butterfly Van Kersbergen could not quite match what he did earlier this season, going 52.56 seconds to finish 10th overall. It was Clarkstown’s Isaiah Francis winning the state title tearing to a time of 48.59.
