On the final day of the 2014 SUNYAC championships, defending champion Cortland was beaten by Geneseo. Cortland’s upset last year surprised everyone; in some ways, this is a return to the status quo, but it also may be the beginning of a deepening rivalry between the teams. On the women’s side, Geneseo maintained it’s victory streak for another year.
To start the night off right, defending champion John Nasky of Geneseo set out to make a statement in his 1650. He broke the meet and conference records with his 15:42.66. Previously the conference record was owned by Matt Feinberg of Binghamton set in 1996 at 15:48.34. Nasky was also under the NCAA B cut for the mile. In second place finished Jack Spader of New Paltz with a 16:28.92. Third was Andrew Minnick from Oswego (16.39.75).
Kristian Tialios of the Blue Wave continued Geneseo’s winning streak in the 200 backstroke, putting up a 1:51.65 for the SUNYAC crown and an NCAA B cut. Also with a B cut in second place was Oneonta’s Colton Roe finishing with a 1:52.11. Roe was fifth in the event last year to Tialios’ third place. Tialios’ teammate Kevin Schaub finished third this year with a 1:53.99.
Reeve Callen won his second individual event in the men’s 100 freestyle after having finished in 8th in this event the previous year. Last night Callen took home the gold in the 200 freestyle. He claimed victory this evening with a 46.58. Second for Geneseo was Kenny Athans (46.75) who turned in winning performances in both IM races. Third place went to Fredonia’s John Estanislau in 46.86. In the B final, Liam Jones of Fredonia dropped over a second to move up from fifth place to winning the consolation final with a 47.36. In the A final, the time would have earned him sixth.
Men’s 200 breaststroke was taken by a freshman from Fredonia this year in a ridiculously close match up. Adam Clouthier posted a 2:07.28 to scoot past Adam Opsahl of Suny Cortland for the win. Opsahl was runner up by just .04, finishing with a time of 2:07.32. Not to be left out of the tight race, Jack Jakubek (also of Cortland) was .02 behind him, to close with a 2:07.34.
After an off performance in the 100 last night, Yonghoon Jun of Geneseo got back up on the blocks to turn in a more impressive swim this evening. His 1:53.21 was an NCAA B cut as well as being just over a tenth off of the SUNYAC meet and conference records held by Bryan Jun of Geneseo at 1:53.10. In second for Oneonta was Lucas Santiago who posted a 1:55.54. Jun’s teammate Andy Schunk claimed third in 1:56.92.
Jeff Matter of Fredonia, a freshman, claimed the victory in the men’s 3 meter diving this evening. He jumped from third in the standings after prelims to first with a 524.80. Runner up was Oneonta’s Jermain Miller (509.50). In third from Buffalo State was Alec Fleet with a 488.30.
The final event of the men’s meet was the men’s 400 freestyle relay. The team of Jun, Jordan Gay, Tyler Roth and Athans posted the victorious time of 3:06.14 to break the conference and meet record set last year by Cortland (3:06.24). Second place fell to Fredonia in 3:08.05. Defending champions in the event, Cortland placed third with a 3:09.08.
Final team scores:
Geneseo 848, Fredonia 497, Oneonta 492, Cortland 488, Oswego 319, New Paltz 275, Potsdam 266, Brockport 198, Buffalo State 165
On the women’s side of the meet, Chelsea Allocco rocked out on the mile, turning in a 17:11.12 for New Paltz to secure the victory. That time is two seconds off her SUNYAC record from last year, but still meets the NCAA B cut standard and is just over the NCAA 2013 invited time. In second place for Oneonta was Lauren Zenkto with a 17:33.06. Third for Geneseo was Sophie deFreitas with a 17:38.71.
In 2013 Lauren Boyce of Geneseo was seventh in the 200 backstroke; this year she turned it into a victory, putting up an NCAA B cut time in 2:05.72 to beat her competition by two seconds for the win. Buffalo State’s Charlotte Archdeacon was second (2:07.89). In third for Cortland was Angelica Ford (2:09.11). In the B final, Oneonta’s Carly Cahill dropped four seconds to win the heat in a 2:11.43 – a time that would have landed her sixth in the A final.
Abigail Max returned to the pool in fine form to win the women’s 100 freestyle (51.55) after her victory in the 200 the previous night. Last year she swam the 200 back instead, and Sarah Culmo of Cortland was the 100 freestyle champion. Culmo finished runner up this year with a 52.12; both women’s times were NCAA B cuts. Oneonta’s Chandler Shepard was third in 52.81.
From sixth last year to the top this year, Melanie Melewski of Brockport came back faster at night to claim the victory in the 200 breaststroke. She was a 2:22.66 to finish about four seconds ahead of Samantha Granan (New Paltz) who was runner up in 2:26.23. Third place went to Fredonia’s Larissa Dobson who was leading the race for second until the last 50. Dobson finished in 2:26.25.
Geneseo swept the top three spots of the women’s 200 butterfly, and if it wasn’t for Chelsey Simon (Cortland) they might have had the top four places. The top two finishers, Hailey Modelewski and Lily Powell posted NCAA B cut times of 2:06.94 and 2:07.38, respectively. Jenna Gibbons finished third with a 2:09.69, dropping nearly three seconds from her prelims time.
While Geneseo swept the pool, Fredonia swept the boards. One meter went to Fredonia senior and defending champion Ashley Keller who posted a 457.35 to claim the victory. Keller also owns the Conference and Meet records in the event at 485.35, set last year. In second was Fredonia’s Katelyn Haley (437.85), and third place went to their teammate Heather Colby who posted a score of 428.70 to secure her position.
Closing out the night and the meet was the women’s 400 freestyle relay. The Geneseo quartet of Julie Holloway, Stephanie Wilcoxen, Boyce and Max packed a powerful punch, delivering with a 3:30.06, just a little shy of the 3:29.62 record set in 2009 by Geneseo. Max’s 50.89 was the fastest split of the field. Second place went to Brockport in 3:34.95. Third went to Cortland, half a second behind at 3:34.95.
Final team scores:
Geneseo 880, Cortland 573, New Paltz 472, Oneonta 409, Fredonia 404.5, Brockport 320.5, Buffalo State 189, Oswego 184, Potsdam 124