Norwich comes up short in division title bid

Boys’ Swimming

Chenango Valley 101, Norwich 85

NORWICH – In its bid for the program’s first division title in many years, Norwich came up short in a STAC East showdown with unbeaten Chenango Valley Friday night.

The Warriors won six of the first seven events, the biggest victory a one-two-three sweep in the 100-yard freestyle that extended the CV lead beyond 10 points. Norwich stayed in the hunt with three scoring finishers in nearly every event to that point.

Norwich broke into the win column when Ricky Finnegan captured the diving competition by less than two points. Finnegan pulled out the win scoring six-point-fives from all three judges on his final dive.

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“We knew they had the top swimmers, and the strategy was to pile in the seconds and third after those guys,” said Norwich coach Kevin Diefenbacher. “It kind of got away from us in the 100 free. A couple of their guys swam at least two seconds faster than what they have been swimming.”

Norwich did not win again until Greg Todd pulled away for a win in the 500-yard freestyle, and Nick Mooney led a one-two finish in the 100-yard breaststroke along with Joe Stagliano The final two relays – the 200 and 400 freestyles – were led early by Norwich before the Warriors rallied over the final two legs of the race.

“Our guys made a real good showing, and we had 14 personal-best times at the meet,” Diefenbacher said. “We did what we had to do in nearly every event, we just came up a little short.”

Norwich hosts Holland Patent Tuesday, Feb. 5.

Results

200-yard medley relay: (CV) 1:47.42; 200 freestyle: Kurt Grunder (CV) 1:56.53; 200 individual medley: Gannon Connors (CV) 2:14.09; 50 freestyle: Nick Lidell (CV) 23.48; Diving: Richard Finnegan (N) 169.75; 100 butterfly: Kurt Grunder (CV) 55.54; 100 freestyle: Lidell (CV) 52.54; 500 freestyle: Greg Todd (N) 5:31.88; 200 free relay: CV, 1:37.30; 100 backstroke: Conners (CV) :59.54; 100 breaststroke: Nick Mooney (N) 1:10.10; 400 freestyle relay: (CV) Lidell, Luke Dionne, Karl Grunder, Connors) 3:40.55.

Owego 98, Greene 83

(At Greene)

200-yard medley relay: Owego (Mitchell Phelps, Dylan Richmond, Collin Pritchard, Tommy West), 1:56.28; 200 freestyle: Pritchard (O), 2:03.64; 200 individual medley: Phelps (O), 2:14.71; 50 freestyle: Chris Bay (G), 24.01; Diving: Jake Storms (O), 190.50; 100 butterfly: West (O), 1:03.08; 100 freestyle: Bay (G), 53.12; 500 freestyle: Phelps (O), 5:16.12; 200 free relay: Greene (Bay, Josh Shank, Armand DiRosa, Tom Delgado), 1:41.89; 100 backstroke: Richmond (O), 1:02.71; 100 breaststroke: Zachary Zielinski (O), 1:17.46; 400 freestyle relay: Owego (West, Phil Stevens, Pritchard, Phelps), 3:40.61.

Wrestling