PHOTOS AND STORY BY CHRIS BROOKS, sports editor, wellsvillesports.com
WELLSVILLE — The Wellsville Sea Lions ended their regular season on perhaps the brightest of notes.
A note they’ve now hit for a third straight season — undefeated, as they hosted their annual Senior Day meet with visiting Dansville in town for a visit, completely taking control of the first half of the meet under their own discretion by capturing six straight wins to fuel their 74-56 win over the Lady Mustangs on Saturday.
“The Senior Meet was a success. After a long night of decorating the pool to make a long-lasting memory for our seniors Isabelle (Hart), Tiernee (Brandes) and Sara (McCormick),” said Sea Lions coach Steve Hand. “The girls showed up and swam hard, and they still have a few weeks left together. We’re hoping to make the most out of it. We have a whole week of practice to keep working on things to clean up, and try to be faster. It was a great send off for our three captains, and hopefully it’s the push we need going into the LCAA meet and then Sectionals.”
Five different individuals all recorded victories to pace another extraordinary day in the water for the Sea Lions (8-0), leading off the meet with a winning time from Tiernee Brandes, Hayden Waldon, Isabelle Hart and Sara McCormick in the 200 medley relay. It would begin a strand of six consecutive victories that would prove to be enough to take the winning edge when the end was reached.
Hart and Brandes both gathered up victories individually on their own after racing winning legs in their relay triumph, with Brandes placing first in the 50 freestyle, while Hart followed with a 100 butterfly win to round off their senior careers in their final regular season home meet. Other individual winners for the Sea Lions include: Morgan Mattison in the 200 freestyle, Grace Kinnicutt in the 200 individual medley and Ashley Oswald off the Diving board.
Dansville would record five victories in the back half of the meet, with Kaitlyn Lee garnering a pair to go with the team’s pair of relay wins, as she medaled with winning times in the 100 freestyle and later, in the 100 backstroke. Ella Frazer added the final individual win for the Lady Mustangs with a victorious time in the 500 freestyle.
Preparations for their Sectional title defense will now begin for the Sea Lions, as they now take a week off to practice before exhibition action takes place in Livonia on October 18, where they will meet both Palmyra-Macedon and the host Lady Bulldogs before taking the water for Livingston County League Championship action beginning on October 20 with Diving, and two days later, the overall Championship meet on the 22nd.
The Section V, Class C Finals meet will begin at the Webster Aquatic Center coming up on November 4 in a 5 p.m. first swim, where the Sea Lions will look to capture a third straight Sectional Championship.
Team Scores: Wellsville 74, Dansville 56.
Results
200 Medley – 1. Wellsville (Brandes, Waldon, Hart, McCormick) 2:12.80, 2. Wellsville.
200 Free – 1. Morgan Mattison (WLSV) 2:15.10, 2. Ella Frazer (DAN), 3. Allie Bidzerkowny (WLSV).
200 IMR – 1. Grace Kinnicutt (WLSV) 2:33.44, 2. Megan Vanetten (WLSV), 3. Lily Miller (WLSV).
50 Free – 1. Tiernee Brandes (WLSV) 28.63, 2. Isabelle Hart (WLSV), 3. Sara McCormick (WLSV).
Diving – 1. Ashley Oswald (WLSV) 167.70.
100 Fly – 1. Isabelle Hart (WLSV) 1:13.82, 2. Abi Kendall (DAN).
100 Free – 1. Kaitlyn Lee (DAN) 1:03.80, 2. Emily Budinger (WLSV), 3. Jasmine Outman (WLSV).
500 Free – 1. Ella Frazer (DAN) 6:11.88, 2. Morgan Mattison (WLSV), 3. Haidyn Scollen (DAN).
200 Relay – 1. Dansville (Forrester, Lee, Scollen, Frazer) 2:03.73.
100 Back – 1. Kaitlyn Lee (DAN) 1:12.70, Michele Zepkowski (DAN).
400 Free – 1. Dansville (Scollen, Kendall, Lee, Frazer) 4:32.29.
