Men's Swimming and Diving | 2/21/2020 10:04:35 PM
Nazareth College holds the lead for the third straight day at the 2020 Empire 8 and Allegheny Empire Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, held at the Webster Aquatic Center and hosted by Hartwick College. The Golden Flyers won four of five events on Friday night to hold its lead with 758 points after the first three days. Hartwick cut into the lead and is second with 681 points, while Alfred is third with 580 points and Utica is fourth with 235. The Golden Flyers continue to lead the 10-team Allegheny Empire Championship with 1,133 points, while Hartwick is second overall with 1,023.
Nazareth’s junior John Koch won his third individual event in three nights, earning a close victory in the 200-yard butterfly by just under a second in 1:53.38. Teammate Tom Griffin, a sophomore, picked up his second individual victory of the week, taking the 100-yard backstroke by just 29 one-hundredths of a second over Andy Edmister of Alfred in a time of 51.22 seconds.
Hartwick earned a strong 1-2 finish in the 100-yard breaststroke final, as senior Yury Chernyak rallied late to defeat classmate Ryan McLoughlin by just 28 one-hundredths of a second in a time of 57.18 seconds.
Nazareth junior Sidney Taylor won his second diving title of the week, taking the 1-meter event with a score of 473.80. Alfred junior Logan Cross placed second overall.
Nazareth’s 800-yard freestyle relay team of Luca Biagiotti, Joey Knapp, Koch and Dylan Long took the Empire 8 title, hitting the wall first in a time of 7:01.86, 10 seconds ahead of Hartwick.
Action concludes on Saturday from the Webster Aquatic Center, with preliminary action starting at 10 a.m. and the finals getting underway at 5:30 p.m. The Golden Flyers look to hang on and win their first E8 crown. Hartwick will look to rally and also earn its first league title.
Friday’s Empire 8 Individual Champions
200-yard butterfly – John Koch, Nazareth – 1:53.38
100-yard backstroke – Tom Griffin, Nazareth – :51.22
100-yard breaststroke – Yury Chernyak, Hartwick, :57.18
800-yard freestyle relay – Luca Biagiotti, Joey Knapp, John Koch, Dylan Long, Nazareth – 7:01.86
1-meter diving – Sidney Taylor, Nazareth – 473.80
Empire 8 Team Scores
Nazareth – 758
Hartwick – 681
Alfred – 580
Utica – 235
Allegheny Empire Team Scores
Nazareth – 1,133
Hartwick – 1,023
Penn State Behrend – 871
Alfred – 853
Alfred State – 594
Penn State Altoona – 406
Utica – 316
SUNY Delhi – 152
Pitt.-Bradford – 138