Senior Michael Phillips of Hartwick College was named Empire 8 Swimmer of the Meet and junior Martin Brown of conference champion Ithaca College was chosen as Diver of the Meet at the 2012 Empire 8 Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship held in conjunction with the Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association Championship at the Webster Aquatic Center.
Phillips won three state and Empire 8 titles, meeting the NCAA Division III Men’s Swimming and Diving provisional qualifying standard in each. He set Empire 8 championship records in capturing the 200-yard freestyle (1:40.71) and the 200-yard breaststroke (school record 2:03.90). He won the 200-yard individual medley in a time of 1:52.76 and swam the final leg of the state-winning 800-yard freestyle relay that won in a time of 6:46.45, breaking the Empire 8 record. Phillips also swam the anchor leg of the Hawks’ 400-yard freestyle relay that set an Empire 8 mark in 3:03.75.
Brown placed in the top-four in the state and won Empire 8 titles in both diving events. He set a conference championship record with his score of 528.60 on the three-meter board and scored 454.60 in the one-meter event.
Freshman Miles Blaney of Hartwick was selected as Empire 8 Rookie of the Meet. He finished second in the conference to Phillips in the 200- (1:40.97) and 500-yard freestyle (4:35.05) events. Blaney also swam on the Hawks’ record-setting 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays.
Kevin Markwardt of Ithaca was named Empire 8 Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year after leading the Bombers to back-to-back conference and state titles. The conference award is his fourth.
One member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2012 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 2012 Honors:
Swimmer of the Meet: Michael Phillips, Hartwick College
Diver of the Meet: Martin Brown, Ithaca College
Rookie of the Meet: Miles Blaney, Hartwick College
Coach of the Year: Kevin Markwardt, Ithaca College
2012 Empire 8 Men's Swimming & Diving All-Conference