ALLEGHENY EMPIRE* – MEN AND WOMEN
- Dates: Wednesday, February 19-Saturday, February 22, 2020
- Location: Webster High School Aquatic Center – Rochester, NY
- Host: Hartwick
- Defending Champion AMCC: Penn St. Behrend women; Penn St. Behrend men (13x)
- Defending Champion E8: Nazareth women (2x); Stevens men (7x)
- Live Video: Day 1 │ Day 2 │ Day 3 │ Day 4
- Championship Central
Courtesy: Empire 8 Athletics
WOMEN
Nazareth College won its third straight Empire 8 Championship and took the inaugural 2020 Allegheny Empire Women’s Swimming and Diving crown, as the two meets were held in conjunction from Feb. 19-22 the Webster Aquatic Center and hosted by Hartwick College.
The Golden Flyers finished with 1,081.5 points to win the E8 title, while Hartwick was second with 891.5. Alfred placed third with 538 points, while Utica is fourth with 382. Nazareth (1,758.5), Hartwick (1,399.5) and Alfred (839) recorded the top three team scores in the inaugural 10-team Allegheny Empire Championships.
Nazareth freshman Abigail Santos and Hartwick senior Abby Miller were named co-Empire 8 and Swimmer of the Meet. Santos garnered Allegheny Empire Swimmer of the Meet accolades in addition to both the E8 and Allegheny Empire Rookie of the Meet. Fellow Nazareth teammate Allie Norwood earned both E8 and Allegheny Empire Diver of the Meet awards. It was her second straight Empire 8 Diver of the Meet honor. Nazareth head coach Scott Whitbeck was named the Allegheny Empire Coach of the Meet.
On Saturday, Hartwick’s Abby Miller won her third individual title of the week, opening the finals session with a win by nearly six seconds in the grueling 1,650-yard freestyle in a time of 18:02.47. Teammate Channing Lewis completed the 1-2 Empire 8 in the event.
Nazareth junior Taylor Robey won her second individual crown of the week, winning the 100-yard freestyle in 51.87 seconds. It was her second straight Empire 8 title in that event.
Alfred junior Lauren Serotta also won her second event of the week, rolling to a nearly four second win in the 200-yard backstroke. It was the second straight season that Serotta won the E8 title in that event. Lewis, who swam the 1,650-free less than an hour earlier, came back to place second in the 200-back.
Hartwick senior Gina Grauer won the 200-yard breaststroke by more than four seconds in a time of 2:26.82.
Alfred junior Lauren Serotta won her second straight Empire 8 crown in the 100-yard backstroke, rolling to a two second win in a time of 58.04 seconds. Nazareth freshman Abigail Santos won an individual event for the third straight night, taking the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:05.68.
Nazareth’s 400-yard freestyle relay team of Robey, Santos, Darby McNamara and Paige Pasquarella put the finishing touches on the championship by rolling to a nearly five-second win in a time of 3:32.24.
Norwood won her second straight Empire 8 3-meter diving championship, recording a score of 470.95, as teammate Taylor Woltz placed second overall.
Individual Women’s Award Winners
Co-Empire 8 Swimmer of the Meet: Abby Miller, Sr., Hartwick
Co-Empire 8 Swimmer of the Meet: Abigail Santos, Fr., Nazareth
Empire 8 Diver of the Meet: Allie Norwood, Jr., Nazareth
Empire 8 Rookie of the Meet: Abigail Santos, Fr., Hartwick
Allegheny Empire Swimmer of the Meet: Abigail Santos, Fr., Nazareth
Allegheny Empire Diver of the Meet: Allie Norwood, Jr., Nazareth
Allegheny Empire Coach of the Meet: Scott Whitbeck, Nazareth
Saturday’s Empire 8 Individual Champions
1,650 yard freestyle – Abby Miller, Hartwick – 18:02.47
100-yard freestyle – Taylor Robey, Nazareth – :51.78
200-yard backstroke – Lauren Serotta, Alfred – 2:07.55
200-yard breaststroke – Gina Grauer, Hartwick – 2:26.82
400-yard freestyle relay – Taylor Robey, Abigail Santos, Darby McNamara, Paige Pasquarella, Nazareth – 3:32.24
3-meter diving – Allie Norwood, Nazareth – 470.95
2020 Empire 8 Championship Team Scores
Nazareth – 1,081.50
Hartwick – 891.5
Alfred – 538
Utica – 382
Allegheny Empire Team Scores
Nazareth – 1,758.5
Hartwick – 1,399.5
Alfred – 839
Alfred State – 801
Penn State Behrend – 789
Utica – 549
Franciscan – 442
Penn State Altoona – 384
SUNY Delhi – 272
Pitt-Bradford – 17
MEN
Nazareth College won its first league title, claiming victory in both the 2020 Empire 8 and Allegheny Empire Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, held at the Webster Aquatic Center and hosted by Hartwick College from Feb. 19-22.
The Golden Flyers finished with 996 points to win the 2020 Empire 8 title, outlasting Hartwick by 86 points. Alfred made a strong Saturday comeback to finish with 809 team points and Utica finished fourth with 290. The Golden Flyers won the inaugural 10-team Allegheny Empire Championship with 1,482 points, while Hartwick finished second overall with 1,374.
Nazareth junior John Koch was named the Empire 8 and Allegheny Empire Swimmer of the Meet. Fellow Nazareth junior Sidney Taylor earned both E8 and Allegheny Empire Diver of the Meet awards. Hartwick freshman Diallo Marshall was named the Empire 8 Rookie of the Meet, while Nazareth head coach Scott Whitbeck was named the Allegheny Empire Coach of the Meet.
Nazareth freshman Dylan Long opened Saturday’s finals session by winning the 1,650-yard freestyle in a time of 16:33.54.
Marshall of Hartwick won his second sprint freestyle of the week, using a late burst to defeat Nazareth’s Tom Griffin by the closest of margins, two one-hundredths of a second, in a time of 46.33 seconds.
Alfred senior Andy Edmister won the 200-yard backstroke by just over a second in a time of 1:50.92. Teammate Phil Volaski placed second to give the Saxons a 1-2 finish in the event.
For the second straight evening, Hartwick seniors finished 1-2 in a backstroke event, as Yury Chernyak took the 200-yard event by five seconds over classmate Ryan McLoughlin in a time of 2:04.72.
Nazareth’s 400-yard freestyle relay team of Griffin, Mark Dunkelberg, Luca Biagiotti and Matt Corona wrapped up the championship by winning the event by less than a second in a time of 3:07.25.
Individual Meet Awards
Empire 8 Swimmer of the Meet: John Koch, Jr., Nazareth
Empire 8 Diver of the Meet: Sidney Taylor, Jr., Nazareth
Empire 8 Rookie of the Meet: Diallo Marshall, Fr., Hartwick
Allegheny Empire Swimmer of the Meet: John Koch, Jr., Nazareth
Allegheny Empire Diver of the Meet: Sidney Taylor, Jr., Nazareth
Allegheny Empire Coach of the Meet: Scott Whitbeck, Nazareth
Saturday’s Empire 8 Individual Champions
1,650 yard freestyle – Dylan Long, Nazareth – 16:33.54
100-yard freestyle – Diallo Marshall, Hartwick – 46.35
200-yard backstroke – Andy Edmister, Alfred – 1:50.92
200-yard breaststroke – Yury Chernyak, Hartwick, 2:04.72
400-yard freestyle relay – Tom Griffin, Mark Dunkelberg, Luca Biagiotti, Matt Corona, Nazareth – 3:07.25
Empire 8 Team Scores
Nazareth – 996
Hartwick – 910
Alfred – 809
Utica – 290
Allegheny Empire Team Scores
Nazareth – 1,482
Hartwick – 1,374
Penn State Behrend – 1,251
Alfred – 1,179
Alfred State – 762
Penn State Altoona – 549
Utica – 393
Pitt.-Bradford – 210
SUNY Delhi – 192