The Benicia Stingrays opened the Tri-County Swim League season with a narrow 322-318 victory over the archrival Aquaknights last Saturday at the James Lemos Swim Center.

The Stingray boys, led by their age 13-14 and 7-8 swimmers, pulled out a 180-172 win while the Stingray girls came up a little short, losing 146-142 to the Aquaknights of Oakley.

Aden Li dominated the 7-8 boys division, winning the 25-yard backstroke (19.33), breaststroke (22.88) and 100-yard IM (1:41.11). Teammate Bryce Mincy took first place in the 25-yard freestyle (18.37) and butterfly (20.95). Li and Mincy teamed up with Vincent Perelli and Mario Stump to win the 100-yard freestyle relay (1:14.47) and medley relay (1:28.59).

Jake Rafac was the top swimmer in the 13-14 boys division, winning the 50-yard butterfly (1 30.64) and 100-yard IM (1:12.32). Andrew Maichel won the 50-yard freestyle (1:26.57), Elian Salindong took first place in the breaststroke (1:37.62) and Robert Patocchi captured the backstroke (32.02). The foursome also combined to win the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:53.74) and medley relay (2:06.13).

Cameron Jacobson took first place in the 50-yard backstroke for the 11-12 boys and teamed with Blake Harris, Ethan Collins and Daniel Goncharov to win the 200-yard freestyle relay. Harris, Collins, Goncharov and Denzel Brown won the 200-yard medley relay (3:22.41). Joey Patocchi won the 50-yard backstroke (51.43) for Benicia’s only victory in the 9-10 boys division.

The Stingray girls relied heavily on their veterans to keep things close with the Aquaknights. Lauren Mathews won the 100-yard freestyle (1:03.50) and backstroke (1:17.76) for the 15-18 girls while teammate Katya Wills won the 100-yard butterfly (1:21.55) and breaststroke (1:27.88). Taylor Stump won the 100-yard IM (1:25.48) and teamed with Matthews, Wills and Alexa Jacobson to win the 200-yard freestyle relay. Matthews, Jacobson, Wills and Kelsi Norman won the medley relay (2:19.21).

Benicia’s 13-14 girls pulled off a clean sweep. Chloe Cotsifas was a dual winner as an individual, taking first in the 50-yard breaststroke (36.03) and 100-yard IM (1:16.01). Jessica Scott won the 50-yard freestyle (29.39), Julia Lindemuth won the butterfly (33.52) and Janina Delacruz won the backstroke (34.97). Cotsifas, Lindemuth, Delacruz and Cassidy Mcguire took first in the 200-yard medley relay. Scott, Lindemuth, Sabrina Peterson and Ashlynn Smith captured the freestyle relay (2:00.40).

Ali Largaespada took first in the 25-yard freestyle for the 6-under girls and joined Ellen Goncharov, Lila Fellman and Ava McCombe to win the 100-yard medley relay (2:22.42). Madison Smith-Rambo joined Largaespada, Fellman and Goncharov to win the freestyle relay (2:10.16).

The only wins for Benicia’s 11-12, 9-10 and 7-8 girls came from their freestyle relay teams. Audrey Matthews, Meadow Iniguez, Gabrielle Malte and Emma Lindemuth won the 200-yard medley for the 11-12s (2:23.95), Annabella Millhollin, Emily Fade, Haylie Stump and Emily Davis captured the same event for the 9-10 girls (2:46.62), and Kayla Zilka, Aislyn McNamara, Caroline Kelley and Mackenzie Mincy took the 100-yard freestyle relay for the 7-8 girls (1:33.86.)

Benicia’s next meet is Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. against visiting Hercules at the James Lemos Swim Center.

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