Women's Swimming and Diving | 1/19/2024 9:04:49 AM
The Empire 8 Conference is celebrating the league’s 25th Anniversary season in 2023-24, honoring student-athletes, teams, coaches and administrators who have played a key role in the league’s success over the last 25 years. Empire 8 Women’s Swimming and Diving has enjoyed several individuals and teams that have excelled at the conference, national and regional levels.
Ithaca College was a perennial power, winning the Empire 8 Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships 13 straight years from the inaugural season of 2000 until 2012 before winning four consecutive championships in its final four seasons from 2014 to 2017. Stevens broke Ithaca’s run with a league title in 2012-13 before Nazareth began a run of five straight championships from 2017-18 to 2022-23.
Ithaca head coach Paula Miller was a 10-time Empire 8 Coach of the Year, while Nazareth’s Scott Whitbeck garnered three straight Coach of the Year accolades from 2017-21. Chris Heckman has earned the last two Coach of the Year honors. Brad Thornton of Stevens also earned a pair of Coach of the Year plaudits. Hartwick head coach Dale Rothenberger is the longest serving E8 head coach, having been a part of all 25 Empire 8 seasons.
Emily Lesher of Nazareth was the Empire 8’s first individual national champion, winning the 400-yard individual medley in 2007. Laura Barito of Stevens was a national champion in the 50-yard freestyle in 2011. The following season, Brittany Geyer of Stevens won the national championship in the 200-yard breaststroke and followed that up with individual titles in both the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke to close out her career in 2015. The league has had several All-Americans in 25 seasons. Lesher holds the Empire 8 record with 12 individual league titles and is tied with fellow Nazareth All-American Taylor Robey with 19 total totals (individual and relay).
Below we are honoring members of the Empire 8 Women’s Swimming and Diving 25th Anniversary Team. Recipients were chosen by the league office and were named either a Swimmer of Diver of the Year, Swimmer or Diver of the Empire 8 Championship Meet, three-time Empire 8 Individual Champion, All-American (relays included) or earned All-Empire 8 first team honors at least five times (over various events) in their collegiate careers.
Empire 8 Women’s Swimming and Diving 25th Anniversary Team
Swimming
Grace Ayer, Ithaca
Kylie Bangs, Ithaca
Laura Barito, Stevens
Rebecca Blazak, Ithaca
Sarah Bond, Ithaca
Lauren Botterbusch, Ithaca
Caitlyn Burr, RIT
Danielle Caruso, Stevens
Katie Centrella, Ithaca
Gabrielle Czernik, Stevens
Marissa Douglas, Stevens
Lisa Elsmore, Nazareth
Korie Fackler, Ithaca
Brittany Geyer, Stevens
Gayle Gregory, Hartwick
Cailin Grunewald, Stevens
Hayley Hatfield, Stevens
Jen Heberton, Ithaca
Elizabeth Heinbach, Stevens
Katie Helly, Ithaca
Allison Henning, Stevens
Cameron Hess, Nazareth
Megan Hughes, Ithaca
Carly Jones, Ithaca
Courtney Jones, Stevens
Sarah Jurczyk, Stevens
Missy Keesler, Ithaca
Aubrey Kirchoff, Nazareth
Julie Landmann, Hartwick
April Lawson, Stevens
Emily Lesher, Nazareth
Megan Lisbon, Stevens
Marie McClure, Stevens
Abby Miller, Hartwick
Nicole Miller, Stevens
Stephanie Miller, Stevens
Louise Moores, Stevens
Danielle Moreau. Hartwick
Amanda Nauman, Stevens
Carlene Ostromecki, Ithaca
Sian Pearson, Stevens
Rachael Phipps, Nazareth
Courtney Pierce, Hartwick
Katie Prescott, Stevens
Maura Reissig, Nazareth
Sheila Rhoades, Ithaca
Carissa Risucci, Nazareth
Taylor Robey, Nazareth
Sheryl Rooker, Stevens
Cheryl Roubian, Nazareth
Jennifer Rutledge, Stevens
Abigail Santos, Nazareth
Emily Sauter, Nazareth
Lauren Serotta, Alfred
Madi Sherry, Ithaca
Kristen Shorette, Ithaca
Andrea Sturniolo, Stevens
Kelly Turpin, Ithaca
Sara Thompson, Alfred
Amanda Vitullo, Ithaca
Emily Woo, Stevens
Jade Woodend, Hartwick
Diving
Anna Belson, Ithaca
Ashley Brinkman, Hartwick
Kloe Boeckel, Ithaca
Lindsey Buzard, Nazareth
Erin Collins, Alfred
Jodi Costello, Ithaca
Korie Fackler, Ithaca
Nicki Griesemer, Ithaca
Allie Norwood, Nazareth
Elizabeth Tripp, Nazareth
Taylor Woltz, Nazareth
Founded in 1999, the Empire 8 has developed into one of the premier NCAA Division III athletic conferences, both on the field and in the classroom. The conference has created and implemented innovative and groundbreaking sportsmanship programming over this time, many of our which have received great publicity, including features in USA Today, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The NCAA News, and various athletic profession publications. The Empire 8 has also been highly influential in helping to shape the Division III landscape, passing many legislative proposals along with individuals who hold leadership roles at the national level.
Feature stories and series’ celebrating the league’s 25th anniversary will be highlighted on the conference's website and social media platforms throughout the 2023-24 season, starting in September. The conference will also be using the #E825 and #E8Anniversary hashtags on its Twitter and Instagram platforms as a way for fans to follow along throughout the year.
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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