Men's Swimming and Diving | 2/22/2020 10:15:26 PM
Nazareth College won its first league title, claiming victory in both the 2020 Empire 8 and Allegheny Empire Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, held at the Webster Aquatic Center and hosted by Hartwick College from Feb. 19-22.
The Golden Flyers finished with 996 points to win the 2020 Empire 8 title, outlasting Hartwick by 86 points. Alfred made a strong Saturday comeback to finish with 809 team points and Utica finished fourth with 290. The Golden Flyers won the inaugural 10-team Allegheny Empire Championship with 1,482 points, while Hartwick finished second overall with 1,374.
Nazareth junior John Koch was named the Empire 8 and Allegheny Empire Swimmer of the Meet. Fellow Nazareth junior Sidney Taylor earned both E8 and Allegheny Empire Diver of the Meet awards. Hartwick freshman Diallo Marshall was named the Empire 8 Rookie of the Meet, while Nazareth head coach Scott Whitbeck was named the Allegheny Empire Coach of the Meet.
Nazareth freshman Dylan Long opened Saturday’s finals session by winning the 1,650-yard freestyle in a time of 16:33.54.
Marshall of Hartwick won his second sprint freestyle of the week, using a late burst to defeat Nazareth’s Tom Griffin by the closest of margins, two one-hundredths of a second, in a time of 46.33 seconds.
Alfred senior Andy Edmister won the 200-yard backstroke by just over a second in a time of 1:50.92. Teammate Phil Volaski placed second to give the Saxons a 1-2 finish in the event.
For the second straight evening, Hartwick seniors finished 1-2 in a backstroke event, as Yury Chernyak took the 200-yard event by five seconds over classmate Ryan McLoughlin in a time of 2:04.72.
Nazareth’s 400-yard freestyle relay team of Griffin, Mark Dunkelberg, Luca Biagiotti and Matt Corona wrapped up the championship by winning the event by less than a second in a time of 3:07.25.
Individual Meet Awards
Empire 8 Swimmer of the Meet: John Koch, Jr., Nazareth
Empire 8 Diver of the Meet: Sidney Taylor, Jr., Nazareth
Empire 8 Rookie of the Meet: Diallo Marshall, Fr., Hartwick
Allegheny Empire Swimmer of the Meet: John Koch, Jr., Nazareth
Allegheny Empire Diver of the Meet: Sidney Taylor, Jr., Nazareth
Allegheny Empire Coach of the Meet: Scott Whitbeck, Nazareth
Saturday’s Empire 8 Individual Champions
1,650 yard freestyle – Dylan Long, Nazareth – 16:33.54
100-yard freestyle – Diallo Marshall, Hartwick – 46.35
200-yard backstroke – Andy Edmister, Alfred – 1:50.92
200-yard breaststroke – Yury Chernyak, Hartwick, 2:04.72
400-yard freestyle relay – Tom Griffin, Mark Dunkelberg, Luca Biagiotti, Matt Corona, Nazareth – 3:07.25
Empire 8 Team Scores
Nazareth – 996
Hartwick – 910
Alfred – 809
Utica – 290
Allegheny Empire Team Scores
Nazareth – 1,482
Hartwick – 1,374
Penn State Behrend – 1,251
Alfred – 1,179
Alfred State – 762
Penn State Altoona – 549
Utica – 393
Pitt.-Bradford – 210
SUNY Delhi – 192