Geyer, Griesemer, Jurczyk and Stevens Staff Recognized
The Empire 8 Athletic Conference has announced the Swimmer, Diver, Rookie and Coach of the Year awards for the 2014-15 women’s swimming and diving season as voted on by the conference coaches.
Stevens Institute of Technology senior Brittany Geyer and Sarah Jurczyk have been named the Swimmer and Rookie of the Year, respectively, while the Stevens staff is the Coaching Staff of the Year. Ithaca College senior Nicki Griesemer was voted the Diver of the Year.
Geyer qualified for Division III National Meet for the fourth time and capped off her career by winning two national titles. She clocked a winning time of 1:02.24 in the 100-breaststroke, which was .27 seconds better than the second place competitor. A day later she dominated the field, turning in a career-best time of 2:14.66 to earn the 200-breaststroke title, which was more than one full second better than second place. Geyer was also 28th in the 200-yard individual medley, clocking a 2:06.71, which was nearly two seconds better than her seed time. A month earlier she was named the Female Swimmer of the Meet at the UNYSCSA/Empire 8 Championships as she led the Ducks to a second-place team finish. Geyer won three individual events during the four-day meet. She won the 100-breaststroke (1:04.05), 200 breaststroke (2:20.35) and the 400 individual-medley (4:27.24).
Griesemer was named the Female Diver of the Meet at the Upper New York State/Empire 8 Championships for the second-straight year after sweeping the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events. She scored a 472.20 on the 1-meter board and set a championship record of 541.05 on the 3-meter board. She qualified for the NCAA Zone Meet and placed second on both boards earning a trip to the NCAA National Championships. She earned All-America honors by placing eighth on the 3-meter (423.35) and placed 21st on the 1-meter (347.70).
Jurczyk was one of two freshman in the conference to qualify for the NCAA Championship and competed in three individual events. She earned honorable mention All-America in the 100-yard butterfly with a 16
th place finish in a time of 56.67. She also competed in the 200-yard butterfly (2:07.78) and 100-yard freestyle (53.99). At the UNYSCSA/Empire 8 Championships she won the 100 butterfly (56.61), placed fourth in the 200 butterfly (2:08.61) and fifth in the 200 individual medley (2:10.21).
Stevens head coach Brad Thornton and his staff guided the Ducks to a second place finish at the UNYSCSA championship and Empire 8 Championship and a team standing of 17
th at the NCAA’s. At the Empire 8 Championship, the Duck women earned 12 all-conference selections for individual events, including eight first team honorees and four second team honorees. Stevens swept three events, taking first and second team honors in the 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly and 100 breaststroke. The women also finished first in four relays. The staff mentored three women’s student-athletes to the NCAA Division III Championships, where two of them were named All-American’s and one was a two-time national champion.