Men's Swimming and Diving | 10/16/2024 10:00:00 AM
Hartwick College will look to repeat as Empire 8 Champions, as the 2024-25 men’s swimming and diving season is underway. SUNY Brockport and SUNY Geneseo join Alfred University, Hartwick and Nazareth University this season. The 2024-25 Empire 8 Championship will take place at the Webster Aquatic Center from Wednesday, Feb. 19-Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025.
2024-25 Empire 8 Men's Swimming and Diving Athletes to Watch (Sorted Alphabetically by Name)
Cameron Drake, Hartwick, So., Freestyle/Butterfly/Individual Medley, Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley –Drake won both the 500-yard and 1,650-yard freestyle at the 2024 Empire 8 Championship in addition to contributing to the winning 800-yard freestyle relay squad.
Ryan Hough, Nazareth, Gr., Sprint Freestyle, Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua – Hough swept the 50-yard and 100-yard and 200-yard freestyle events at the 2024 Empire 8 Championship. He is a 10-time Empire 8 Champion.
Trent Makowiec, SUNY Geneseo, Gr., Diving, Addison, NY/Addison – Makowiec was named the SUNYAC Diver of the Year for the third year in a row and earned national runner-up honors on both boards (1- and 3-meter diving) at the NCAA Division III championships earning two First-Team All-America honors.
Luca Olivieri, SUNY Brockport, Jr., Freestyle/Backstroke, Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua – Olivieri is Brockport’s record holder in the 200-yard backstroke and is expected to contend for All-Conference honors in several events this season.
Emiliano Terrazas, Alfred, Gr., Breaststroke/Individual Medley, La Paz, Bolivia/La Paz – Terrazas is a versatile swimmer who garnered All-E8 second team accolades in the 200-yard breaststroke in 2024. He was part of Alfred’s 200-yard medley relay team that won the E8 title in 2023.
Team Capsules (Sorted by 2023-24 Championship Results)
Hartwick
The Hawks won their third Empire 8 Championship last season and first since 2006. While the Hawks will look to replace three-time Empire 8 Swimmer of the Year and 2024 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championship participant Mikey Schultz in the pool, he remains on campus as an assistant coach. Hassan Abdelwahed, the 2024 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and classmate Cameron Drake return to lead the way for the Hawks. Abdelwahed set a new meet record in winning the 100-yard breaststroke at the 2024 Allegheny Empire Championship in a time of 56.68 seconds. He also won the Empire 8 title in 200-yard breaststroke. Drake won both the 500-yard and 1,650-yard freestyle at the 2024 Empire 8 Championship in addition to contributing to the winning 800-yard freestyle relay squad. Evan Nezat and Bryce Rogers, along with Sebastian Knowles will also be counted on to lead the Hawks. Knowles is also the Empire 8 National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee representative.
Alfred
Alfred will compete for their second Empire 8 title in three seasons in 2024-25. Alfred’s depth is evident, as a host of All-Empire 8 selections return, including senior Will LaMastus, who was the 2024 E8 Individual Champion in the 100-yard backstroke for the second straight season and 200-yard backstroke and the 400-yard IM. Twin brother Wade LaMastus has excelled in relay events, while graduate student Emiliano Terrazas grabbed a second-place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke. Sophomore Emmanuel Drappatz was part of three Empire 8 Championship winning relay teams as a first year. Paul Tuttle is a top returner in the backstroke, as is Keegan Winkky in the breaststroke. Diver Ryan Way earned All-E8 second team honors in both the 1- and 3-meter events in 2024. Newcomers Carlos Gonzalez, Sean Killian, Ryan Goshow, Diego Monroy, and diver Jaxson McQuaid will be looked at to be strong competitors and add to Alfred’s strong depth during the 2024-25 season.
Nazareth
Nazareth will look to get back to the top of the Empire 8 leaderboard this season after winning league titles in 2020 and 2022. Graduate student Ryan Hough will be counted on to lead the way. His dominant performances in the freestyle sprints last season earned him a sweep in all three sprint freestyle individual championships (50-, 100- and 200-yard). He is a 10-time Empire 8 Champion. Juniors William Danaher and William DelGrand will also be counted to be key leaders for the Golden Flyers. Both Danaher and DelGrand teamed with Hough to win the 200-yard freestyle relay and will be three members of that relay this season. They were also All-E8 second team selections in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
SUNY Brockport
SUNY Brockport will look to in 2024-25 as s first-year member under head coach Zack Wahl. The Golden Eagles won four dual meets and placed sixth overall at the SUNYAC Championship last season. Junior Luca Olivieri. Sophomore Jace Fredericksen, who excels in the backstroke and classmate Joe Keeney, a butterfly standout, will also look to make a major impact this season. Olivieri is Brockport’s record holder in the 200-yard backstroke. Diver Ren Watson is back after earning top-five finishes on both the 1- and 3-meter events at SUNYACs last season.
SUNY Geneseo
The Knights of SUNY Geneseo enter their first season in the Empire 8 for head coach Paul Dotterweich. Geneseo placed 16th at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, with diver Trent Makowiec earning national runner-up honors on both boards (1- and 3-meter diving) to garner a pair of First-Team All-America honors. Greg Meder also earned All-American accolades in the 1-meter event. Jake Nielsen earned Second Team All-American accolades in the 50-yard freestyle, while Jake Nielsen, Jordan Nielsen and Griffin Merkling earned Second Team All-American accolades in the 200-yard medley relay. Brian Pabisch also garnered All-American accolades. Shawn Austin was named the Division III Men's Diving Coach of the Year by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA),
Final 2023-24 Empire 8 Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship Results
Hartwick – 1,033 – League Champions
Alfred – 983
Nazareth – 723
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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