Men's Swimming and Diving | 2/14/2023 10:09:55 AM
Alfred University, Hartwick College, Medaille University, Nazareth College and Utica University will compete at the 2023 Empire 8 Championships from Wednesday, February 15 to Saturday, February 18 from the Webster Aquatic Center in Webster, NY. Preliminary action begins the final three days at 10 a.m. with the finals taking place at 5 p.m. each evening. Nazareth is looking to garner its third straight Empire 8 Championship.
In conjunction, the five Empire 8 institutions will join forces with Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference programs Alfred State College, Penn St. Altoona, Penn St. Behrend, Pitt-Bradford and Wells College for the third Allegheny Empire Championships. At the conclusion of the meet, an Allegheny Empire Women’s and Men’s Champion will be crowned as well as a Male and Female Swimmer and Diver of the Meet. The top three finishers in each event will also be recognized. Nazareth won the inaugural championship in 2020 and repeated last year.
The 2021 Empire 8 and Allegheny Empire Championship meet was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Live video and results will be available throughout the four-day event. For more on this year's championship - including daily video links, heat sheets, results, and updated information - please head to the
Championship Central page above.
2023 Empire 8 Team Capsules (Order Based on 2022 Championship Finish)
Nazareth is looking to garner its third consecutive Empire 8 Championship in 2023. Junior Cameron Fairley enters the championship meet with the top time among all Empire 8 swimmers in the 200-, 500-, 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyle events and will look to repeat as E8 Champion in the 500-yard freestyle. Senior Junior Dylan Long the 2020 Empire 8 Co-Rookie of the Year, won the Empire 8 Championships in the 200-, 500- and 1,650-yard freestyle events in 2020, is expected to contend for all three titles once again in 2022. Junior Ryan Hough enters with the top time among E8 student-athletes in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events. He is also the defending E8 champion in the 100-yard freestyle. Junior Kai D’Alessandro is the defending Empire 8 Champion in the 1,650-yard freestyle. First-year Keagen Winkky will contend in the breaststroke events, while Adam DelGrand and William Danaher are standouts in the butterfly. contenders in the sprint freestyle events. DelGrand and Aidan Quinn, along with D’Alessandro are Nazareth’s top contenders in the individual medley events.
Alfred enters the 2023 Empire 8 Championship looking to win its first league title since 2009. The Saxons have a bevy of top student-athletes competing and won all of its dual meets against Empire 8 foes this season. Junior Emiliano Terrazas is having a tremendous season for the Saxons. He enters the championship as the fastest E8 student-athlete in the 50-, 100- and 200-yard breaststroke and both the 100-yard individual medley events. Terrazas is an E8 Athlete of the Week in 2022-23 and is the defending league champion in the 200-yard breaststroke. Sophomore Will LaMastus is the defending league champion in the 100-yard backstroke and has the fastest time this season in the 50- and 100-yard backstroke events and 400-yard individual medley. He is a two-time E8 Athlete of the Week this season. Colby Watkins is the current leader in the 50-yard butterfly and is a top contender in the spring freestyle events, while Phillip Volaski enters with the top time in the 200-yard backstroke. Paul Tuttle and will also be a top contender in the backstroke events. Both Volaski and Tuttle are E8 Athletes of the Week this season. Juniors Fernando Lagos and Alessandro Lagos Canales will also be in the mix to claim E8 titles in the sprint events. Divers Ryan Way and Max Sereno will also look to earn key points for the Saxons and contend in both diving events.
Hartwick is looking for its first Empire 8 title since 2006. The Hawks won a seven dual matches in 2022-23 and boast a deep group of student-athletes. Sophomore Michael Schultz is the reigning Empire 8 Swimmer and Rookie of the Year and has excelled this season, having earned Empire 8 weekly honors four times. He enters the meet with the league’s top times in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly events in addition to the 200-yard individual medley. Schultz is the defending Empire 8 Champion in both the 200-yard butterfly and 200-yard individual medley. Schultz is also a strong contender in the backstroke. Junior Brady Haraden enters the championship meet with the second best time in both the 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyle in 2022-23 and will be joined by teammate Nicholas Canney to form a strong duo in the distance event. Dawson Tupponce is the defending league champion in the 200-yard freestyle and will contend for league titles in the middle distance events. Reed Sinkinson will also contend in the sprint freestyle, while Evan Nezat is a contender in the backstroke and Justin Diamond and Austin Clive are set to score in the backstroke. The duo of divers Jack Armstrong and Keith Ruiz are a formidable 1-2 punch. Armstrong has the top score in both the 1-meter and 3-meter events among all E8 divers this season.
Utica is looking to improve off a fourth place finish at the 2022 championship. The Pioneers won eight dual matches during the regular season. Jackson Sorbello will look to lead the Pioneers in the sprint events, while Phillip Ross is Utica’s top swimmer in the backstroke and Michael Colocho will contend in the breaststroke. Barry, Chase Dobbertin and Nick Massa will look to earn points in the backstroke events. Ronald Batario and Nick Massa, along with Sorbello are also standouts in the individual medley and butterfly.
Empire 8 newcomer
Medaille will look to contend in its debut season. Senior Ethan Heim, junior Jahnai Carr and sophomore Daniel O’Brien will compete. Heim is a contender in the breaststroke events, while Carr is Medaille’s top swimmer in the backstroke and sprint freestyle events. O’Brien is a breaststroke contender.
Current 2022-23 Empire 8 Top Times
50-yard freestyle – Ryan Hough, Nazareth – :21.74
100-yard freestyle – Ryan Hough, Nazareth – :47.01
200-yard freestyle – Cameron Fairley, Nazareth – 1:44.85
500-yard freestyle – Cameron Fairley, Nazareth – 4:49.83
1,000-yard freestyle – Cameron Fairley, Nazareth – 10:32.02
1,650-yard freestyle – Cameron Fairley, Nazareth – 17:16.77
50-yard backstroke – Will LaMastus, Alfred – :24.41
100-yard backstroke – Will LaMastus, Alfred – :53.32
200-yard backstroke – Phil Volaski, Alfred – 1:55.46
50-yard breaststroke – Emiliano Terrazas, Alfred – :28.40
100-yard breaststroke – Emiliano Terrazas, Alfred – :59.27
200-yard breaststroke – Emiliano Terrazas, Alfred – 2:10.39
50-yard butterfly – Colby Watkins, Alfred – :23.79
100-yard butterfly – Michael Schultz, Hartwick – :51.09
200-yard butterfly – Michael Schultz, Hartwick – 1:52.39
100-yard individual medley – Emiliano Terrazas, Alfred – :54.41
200-yard individual medley – Michael Schultz, Hartwick – 1:59.38
400-yard individual medley – Will Lamastus, Alfred – 4:22.16
200-yard freestyle relay – Alfred – 1:28.86
400-yard freestyle relay – Nazareth – 3:12.48
800-yard freestyle relay – Nazareth – 7:12.64
200-yard medley relay – Alfred – 1:37.19
400-yard medley relay – Alfred – 3:33.14
1-meter diving (11-dive) – Jack Armstrong, Hartwick – 438.70
3-meter diving (11-dive) – Jack Armstrong, Hartwick – 403.90
For the most up to date information on this year's championship, follow the Empire 8 Conference on Twitter (@Empire8).
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
www.empire8.com.
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