ROCHESTER, NY – Senior Dan Pecoraro of Stevens Institute of Technology was named Empire 8 Swimmer of the Meet and junior Evan Wendt of Rochester Institute of Technology was chosen as Diver of the Meet at the 2011 Empire 8 Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship held in conjunction with the Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association Championship hosted by Nazareth College.
Pecoraro broke the Empire 8 championship record by winning the 200-yard freestyle in 1:41.08. He also finished first in the 200-yard backstroke in 1:52.06 and the 500-yard freestyle in 4:37.58. Pecoraro swam on the Ducks’ 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays that each set championship records.
Wendt broke a 21-year-old UNYSCSA record by scoring 555.80 points in the preliminaries of the three-meter dive. He recorded 526.65 points in the final to break the school record by 16 points and the Empire 8 championship mark. Wendt won the one-meter event with a score of 489.70 points.
Freshmen Taylor Van Cott and Connor White of conference and state champion Ithaca College shared the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year award. Van Cott won the 100-yard butterfly in 51.13 seconds and the 200-yard butterfly in 1:54.46. White won the 100-yard backstroke in 51.34 seconds and finished second to Van Cott in the 100 butterfly. Each swam on the Bombers’ victorious 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams.
Kevin Markwardt of Ithaca was named Empire 8 Coach of the Year for leading the Bombers to the conference and state titles. The conference award is his third and first since 2004.
One member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2011 Men’s Swimming and Diving Sportsman 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 sportsmen.
Empire 8 2011 Honors:
Swimmer of the Meet: Dan Pecoraro, Stevens Institute of Techology
Diver of the Meet: Evan Wendt, Rochester Institute of Technology
Co-Rookie of the Meet: Taylor Van Cott, Ithaca College
Co-Rookie of the Meet: Connor White, Ithaca College
Coach of the Year: Kevin Markwardt, Ithaca College
Men's Swimming and Diving All-Conference Release