Men's Swimming and Diving | 10/18/2023 10:00:56 AM
Alfred University will look to repeat as Empire 8 Champions, as the 2023-24 men’s swimming and diving season is underway. The Empire 8 Championships in conjunction with the Allegheny Empire Championship will take place at the Webster Aquatic Center from Wednesday, Feb. 14-Saturday, Feb. 17, 2023.
Players to Watch (Sorted Alphabetically by Name)
Ryan Hough, Nazareth, Sr., Sprint Freestyle, Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua – Hough won the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle and was second in the 200-freestyle at the 2023 Allegheny Empire Championships. He was part of the championship relay for the 800-yard freestyle.
Will Lamastus, Alfred, Jr., Backstroke, Maumee, OH/Anthony Wayne – Lamastus had two individual first place finishes at the 2022-23 Allegheny Empire Championships. He finished first in the 100-yard backstroke and the 400-yard IM and was also part of the 200-yard and 400-yard medley relay championship teams.
Mikey Schultz, Hartwick, Sr., Freestyle/Butterfly/Individual Medley, Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley –Schultz, a two-time Empire 8 Player to watch, was the 2022-23 E8 Swimmer of the Year. This came after Schultz was named the 2021-22 Empire 8 Swimmer and Rookie of the Year. He won E8 titles in the 200-yard butterfly and the 200-yard IM in 2022-23. He is a six-time Empire 8 Champion in his first two seasons at Hartwick.
Team Capsules (Sorted by 2022-23 Championship Results)
Alfred
Alfred will compete for their second straight Empire 8 title in 2023-24. Alfred’s depth is evident, as a host of All-Empire 8 selections return, including junior Will Lamastus, who was the 2023 E8 Individual Champion in the 100-yard backstroke and the 400-yard IM. Phil Volaski returns after claiming the 2022 and 2023 E8 Championship in the 200-yard backstroke. Senior Emiliano Terrazas grabbed a second-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke. Senior Alessandro Lagos comes back after a second-team performance in the 100-yard freestyle. Wade Lamastus, Fernando Lagos and Paul Tuttle will be top returners as well. Newcomers Emmanuel Drappatz, Luke Ryan, Jordan Anlee, Lincoln DiLorenzo, Oleh Zhuk and Ryan Ali will be looked at to be strong competitors and add to Alfred’s strong depth during the 2023-24 season.
Hartwick
The Hawks finished second at the 2022-23 E8 Championships and will contend for the league title this season. Senior Mikey Schultz, the 2022-23 Empire 8 Swimmer of the Year, will lead the way for the Hawks in the pool. Schultz won a pair of individual championship events while grabbing one second place finish individually and two second place relay finishes. Schultz will look to get his third Swimmer of the Year honor in 2023-24. Junior Jack Armstrong returns after two first place finishes in the 1-meter and 3-meter dives en route to winning E8 Diver of the Year honors last season. Armstrong will look to qualify for his second NCAA Diving regionals this season. Senior Brady Haraden will also return as a leader for the Hawks. Bryce Rogers will be a newcomer to watch this season.
Nazareth
Nazareth will look to get back to the top of the Empire 8 leaderboard this season. Senior Ryan Hough will be counted on to lead the way. His dominant performances in the freestyle sprints last season earned him two individual championships. He is a five-time Empire 8 Champion. Senior Cameron Fairley, a member of the 800-yard freestyle relay second place team, will return. Individually, he also took second place in the 500-yard freestyle last season after winning the event in 2022. Senior Kai D’Alessandro, the second-place finisher in the 1,650-yard freestyle is returning as well. This returns three of the four-man team of the 800-yard freestyle relay second place team. These three will be key contributors for Nazareth.
Final 2022-23 Empire 8 Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship Results
Alfred – 967.5 – League Champions
Hartwick – 786
Nazareth – 528.5
Utica – 149.5
Medaille – 5
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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