Empire 8 Announces 2010 Women's Swimming and Diving All-Conference Team
ROCHESTER, NY – Junior Sheila Rhoades of conference champion Ithaca College was named Swimmer of the Meet and senior Lindsey Buzard of Nazareth College was selected as Diver of the Meet at the 2009 Empire 8 Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship held in conjunction with the Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association meet.
Rhoades won the state meet and her third straight Empire 8 title in the 100-yard freestyle, meeting the NCAA Division III Women’s and Swimming and Diving Championship standard with her winning time of 50.91 seconds. Rhoades won her first state title and second conference championship in the 200-yard freestyle, provisionally qualifying for the national meet with a time of 1:52.83. She swam on the Bombers’ winning 400-yard medley relay team which provisionally qualified for the NCAA meet with a time of 3:52.13.
Buzard posted a personal-best score of 383.90 to win the state and conference titles on the one-meter board and also finished first in the three-meter event with a score of 430.85.
Carla Risucci was named Rookie of the Meet after sweeping state and conference championships in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke, qualifying for the NCAA Division III Championship in both events. She broke her own school mark with her time of 1:04.74 in the 100 and broke the Association and Empire 8 Championship records in 2:18.32 in the 200.
Ithaca head coach Paula Miller was named Coach of the Year for leading the Bombers to their 11th consecutive Empire 8 crown and third consecutive state title.
One member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2010 Women’s Swimming and Diving Sportswoman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete’s experience in conjunction with an institution’s educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
Empire 8 2010 Honors:
Swimmer of the Meet: Sheila Rhoades, Ithaca College
Diver of the Meet: Lindsey Buzard, Nazareth College
Rookie of the Meet: Carissa Risucci, Nazareth College
Coach of the Year: Paula Miller, Ithaca College
Empire 8 2010 Women's Swimming and Diving All-Conference Release