Women's Swimming and Diving | 3/16/2023 9:59:09 AM
Hartwick College freshman Courtney Pierce swept Swimmer and Rookie of the Year honors, as the Empire 8 Conference announced its 2022-23 Women’s Swimming & Diving All-Conference awards on Thursday, March 16. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Pierce was named the Empire 8 Swimmer of the Championship Meet, held in conjunction with the Allegheny Empire Championships from Webster Aquatic Center from February 15-18. Pierce won the 100-yard breaststroke by just 11 one-hundredths of a second in a time of 1:06.30 and took the 200-yard breaststroke, hitting the wall first in 2:26.37. In addition, she was third in the 200-yard individual medley and helped Hartwick to second place finishes in the 200- and 400-yard medley relay events and 400-yard freestyle relay.
Pierce is the third student-athlete in Empire 8 history to claim Swimmer and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season, joining Brittany Geyer of Stevens (2011-12) and Grace Ayer of Ithaca (2013-14).
Nazareth College junior Elizabeth Tripp was named the 2022-23 Empire 8 Diver of Year. Tripp, who was also named 2023 Allegheny Empire Diver of the Meet, won the 1-meter diving event in an impressive score of 469.00 points and captured the 3-meter event with a score of 458.95. She is third straight Golden Flyer to earn Diver of the Year honors, spanning the last five seasons.
Nazareth head coach Chris Heckman and his staff earned Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year honors for the second consecutive season. It is the fifth straight season that Nazareth earned Coaching Staff of the Year honors, as the Golden Flyers won their fifth consecutive Empire 8 Championship. Overall, 14 different Golden Flyers earned All-Empire 8 accolades.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2022-23 Women's Swimming & Diving Sportsman of the Year Team. The Empire 8 Conference emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
To be named an E8 All-Conference selection, a student athlete must have finished in the top two of an event at the Conference's Championship Meet, which was held February 15-18 from the Webster Aquatic Center. Winners of the event are named to the First Team, while the Second Team is comprised of the runner-up from each event.
2022-23 Empire 8 Women’s Swimming & Diving Award Winners
Swimmer of the Year: Courtney Pierce, Fr., Hartwick
Diver of the Year: Elizabeth Tripp, Jr., Nazareth
Rookie of the Year: Courtney Pierce, Fr., Hartwick
Coaching Staff of the Year: Nazareth, led by head coach Chris Heckman
Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year
Sarah Anderson, So., Alfred
Scout Easton, Sr., Hartwick
Ashton Laird, Sr., Medaille
Abigail Santos, Sr., Nazareth
Bailey Simmons, Jr., Utica
2022-23 Empire 8 Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship
All-Conference Selections
50-Yard Freestyle
First Team: Elizabeth Deck, So., Nazareth – :24.91
Second Team: Kamila Roman, Fr., Alfred – :25.29
100-Yard Freestyle
First Team: Elizabeth Baird, So, Hartwick – :54.37
Second Team: Bailey Simmons, Sr., Utica – :55.77
200-Yard Freestyle
First Team: Elizabeth Baird, So, Hartwick – 1:57.78
Second Team: Julie Filipski, Jr., Nazareth – 1:58.22
500-Yard Freestyle
First Team: Joelle Ocheltree, Jr., Hartwick – 5:16.40
Second Team: Caroline Coleman, So., Nazareth – 5:18.84
1,650-Yard Freestyle
First Team: Joelle Ocheltree, Jr., Hartwick – 18:08.83
Second Team: Caroline Coleman, So., Nazareth – 18:27.84
100-Yard Backstroke
First Team: Isabella Jaskowski, Jr., Nazareth – 1:01.08
Second Team: Bree Dy, So., Hartwick – 1:01.56 (tie)
Second Team: Alyssa Woodford, Jr., Nazareth – 1:01.56 (tie)
200-Yard Backstroke
First Team: Alyssa Woodford, Jr., Nazareth – 2:10.84
Second Team: Isabella Jaskowski, Jr., Nazareth – 2:12.43
100-Yard Breaststroke
First Team: Courtney Pierce, Fr., Hartwick – 1:06.30
Second Team: Abigail Santos, Jr., Nazareth – 1:06.41
200-Yard Breaststroke
First Team: Courtney Pierce, Fr., Hartwick – 2:26.37
Second Team: Julie Filipski, Jr., Nazareth – 2:27.35
100-Yard Butterfly
First Team: Abigail Santos, Sr., Nazareth – :58.97
Second Team: Kamila Roman, Fr., Alfred – :59.04
200-Yard Butterfly
First Team: Grace Cioffi, Jr., Nazareth – 2:16.79
Second Team: Amanda Wilbur, So., Hartwick – 2:24.15
200-Yard Individual Medley
First Team: Julie Filipski, Jr., Nazareth – 2:11.67
Second Team: Abigail Santos, Sr., Nazareth – 2:13.95
400-Yard Individual Medley
First Team: Grace Cioffi, Jr., Nazareth – 4:51.96
Second Team: Ivy Vallely, Sr., Alfred – 4:52.52
1-Meter Diving
First Team: Elizabeth Tripp, Jr., Nazareth – 469.00
Second Team: Alexa Rizzo, Jr., Nazareth – 466.75
3-Meter Diving
First Team: Elizabeth Tripp, Jr., Nazareth – 458.95
Second Team: Alexa Rizzo, Jr., Nazareth – 418.05
200-Yard Freestyle Relay
First Team: Darby McNamara, So., Caroline Coleman, So., Abigail Santos, Sr., Elizabeth Deck, So., Nazareth – 1:38.37
Second Team: Kamila Roman, Fr., Alexandra Simmons, Fr., Ivy Vallely, Sr., Sarah Anderson, So, Alfred – 1:43.17
400-Yard Freestyle Relay
First Team: Darby McNamara, Sr., Julie Filipski, Jr., Abigail Santos, Sr., Elizabeth Deck, So., Nazareth – 3:38.00
Second Team: Elizabeth Baird, So., Courtney Pierce, Fr., Joelle Ocheltree, Fr., Bree Dy, So., Hartwick – 3:45.22
800-Yard Freestyle Relay
First Team: Caroline Coleman, So., Alex Koeferl, Sr., Julie Filipski, Jr., Elizabeth Deck, So., Nazareth – 7:59.09
Second Team: Joelle Ocheltree, Jr., Elizabeth Baird, So., Amanda Wilbur, So., Bree Dy, So., Hartwick – 8:04.58
200-Yard Medley Relay
First Team: Isabella Jaskowski, Jr., Rebecca Skelley, Jr., Abigail Santos, Sr., Amy Barry, So., Nazareth – 1:49.14
Second Team: Bree Dy, So., Courtney Pierce, Fr., Amanda Wilbur, So., Elizabeth Baird, So., Hartwick – 1:51.31
400-Yard Medley Relay
First Team: Isabella Jaskowski, Jr., Julie Filipski, Jr., Abigail Santos, Sr., Elizabeth Deck, Fr., Nazareth – 4:02.61
Second Team: Bree Dy, So., Courtney Pierce, Fr., Amanda Wilbur, So., Elizabeth Baird, So., Hartwick – 4:08.95
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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