Men's Swimming and Diving | 10/12/2022 9:48:00 AM
Nazareth College will look to earn its third straight Empire 8 Championship, as the 2022-23 men’s swimming and diving season gets underway on Oct. 15. The Empire 8 Championships in conjunction with the Allegheny Empire Championship will take place at the Webster Aquatic Center, hosted by Nazareth from Wednesday, Feb. 15-Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023.
Fans can watch the action all season long, free of charge on the
Empire 8 Network.
Players to Watch (Sorted Alphabetically by Name)
Michael Colocho, Utica, Sr., Breaststroke/Individual Medley, Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor – Colocho will be counted on to lead the Pioneers in the pool this season and contend for All-E8 accolades in both the breaststroke and individual medley.
Ryan Hough, Nazareth, Jr., Sprint Freestyle, Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua – Hough won the 100-yard freestyle title and was second in the 200-freestyle at the 2022 Allegheny Empire Championships. He is also expected to be among the top sprint freestyle swimmers in the region.
Ethan Heim, Medaille, Sr., Breaststroke, Medina, NY/Medina – Heim will look to earn All-Empire 8 honors in the breaststroke this season.
Michael Schultz, Hartwick, Jr., Freestyle/Butterfly/Individual Medley, Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley – Schultz was named the 2021-22 Empire 8 Swimmer and Rookie of the Year. He won a pair of individual championship events and was part of two winning relay teams at the 2022 E8 Championships.
Emiliano Terrazas, Alfred, Jr., Breaststroke/Individual Medley, LaPaz, Bolivia/Saint Andrew's – Terrazas is expected to be one of the top Empire 8 swimmers in both the breaststroke and individual medley this season. He was the 2022 Empire 8 Champion in the 200-yard breaststroke and earned All-Empire 8 second team honors in both the 200- and 400-yard IM events last season.
Team Capsules (Sorted by 2021-22 Championship Results)
Nazareth
Nazareth won its second straight Empire 8 Conference title in 2021-22 and have 12 student-athletes returning for second-year coach Chris Heckman. Despite the losses of several former league championships in the pool and diving board, the Golden Flyers have plenty of depth in 2022-23. Senior Dylan Long was the 2019-20 Empire 8 Co-Rookie of the Year and was an All-E8 first team pick in the 800-yard freestyle relay last season. The junior trio of Ryan Hough (100-yard freestyle), Cameron Fairley (500-yard freestyle) and Kai D’Alessandro (1,650-yard freestyle) were all 2022 Empire 8 Champions and will look to repeat in 2022-23. Fellow seniors Matthew Kovaleski, Justin O’Brien and Kyle Richardson will also be expected to lead the way for the Golden Flyers.
Alfred
Alfred will contend for the 2022-23 Empire 8 title, as 21 student-athletes return from last season’s group that finished as Empire 8 runner-up. A host of All-Empire 8 selections return, including senior Phil Volaski, who was the 2022 E8 Champions in the 200-yard backstroke and individual medley this season. He earned All-Empire 8 second team honors in both the 200-yad backstroke and 200-yard IM in 2020. Junior Emiliano Terrazas was the 2022 Empire 8 Champion in the 200-yard breaststroke and earned All-Empire 8 second team honors in both the 200- and 400-yard IM events last season, while classmates Alessandro and Fernando Lagos will be a top contender in both the freestyle and butterfly events. Sophomores Paul Tuttle and Will Lamastus are top contenders in the backstroke events, while Wade Lamastus was the 2022 E8 Champion in the 100-yard backstroke and Colby Watkins is the defending champ in the 100-yard butterfly. In addition, newcomers Ryan Way, Giuseppe Piede, Tucker Jones and Shea Leonard are expected to step right into Alfred’s lineup.
Hartwick
The Hawks finished third at the 2021-22 E8 Championships and will contend for the league title this season. Junior Michael Schultz, the 2022 Empire 8 Swimmer and Rookie of the Year, will lead the way for the Hawks in the pool. Schultz won a pair of individual championship events and was part of two winning relay teams, while garnering a pair of runner-up finishes. Schultz won the 200-yard individual medley and 200-yard butterfly events and was also part of the winning 400-yard medley and 400-yard freestyle relay teams. Senior Dawson Tupponce emerged as a top swimmer in the butterfly events, earning All-Empire 8 first team honors in the 100-yard butterfly and second team accolades in the 200-yard butterfly races at the 2022 Empire 8 Championships. Seniors Reid Sinkinson and Nic Canney and juniors Brady Haraden, Devin Masongsong will also be counted on to lead the way for the Hawks in 2022-23. Sophomore transfer Nick Tirrell is also expected to contribute right away.
Utica
Utica will look to improve on its fourth place finish at the 2021-22 Empire 8 Championship. Graduate student Jackson Sorbello in addition to seniors Michael Colocho and Nick Massa. Sorbello is a standout in the freestyle and butterfly, while Colocho and Massa both specialize in the breaststroke and individual medley. Newcomers Aaron Batario and Phil Ross will also serve as top scorers for Utica.
Medaille
Medaille makes its Empire 8 debut in 2022-23. The Mavericks were formerly a member of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference as they competed against E8 programs at the Allegheny Empire Championships in 2020 and 2022. The Mavericks finished 10th overall at last year’s championship and return a handful of student-athletes from last season, including Ethan Heim. Sophomores Jahnai Carr and Daniel O’Brien will also be counted on to lead the Mavericks in 2022-23.
Final 2021-22 Empire 8 Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship Results
Nazareth – 947 Points – League Champions
Alfred – 879
Hartwick – 808
Utica – 180
^ Medaille joins the Empire 8 for the 2022-23 season
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
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