Men's Swimming and Diving | 4/2/2024 9:58:00 AM
Hartwick College seniors Mikey Schultz and Jack Armstrong, first-year Hassan Abdelwahed and head coach Dale Rothenberger swept individual honors, as the Empire 8 Conference announced its 2023-24 Men’s Swimming & Diving All-Conference awards on Tuesday, April 2. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Schultz was named the Empire 8 Swimmer of the Year for the third consecutive season after earning his Empire 8 Swimmer of the Championship Meet for the third consecutive season and first Allegheny Empire Swimmer of the Meet honor as well with both championships taking place on Feb. 14-17. Schultz won both the 200-yard individual medley for the third straight season with a time of 1:53.61 on Feb. 15 and took the 100-yard butterfly the following evening in a time of 49.04 seconds. On Feb. 17, Schultz won the 200-yard butterfly, hitting the wall first in a time of 1:49.34. Schultz was also part of the winning 800-yard freestyle relay that recorded a time of 6:59.19, in addition to leading Hartwick to runner-up finishes in the 200- and 400-yard medley relays. Schultz is now a 10-time Empire 8 Champion. Schultz also represented Hartwick and the Empire 8 at the 2024 NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, competing in the 200-yard individual medley, 100- and 200-yard butterfly.
Schultz is the second student-athlete in league history to be Empire 8 Swimmer of the Year three times, joining former All-American Erik Zelbacher of RIT, who won the honor in 2002-03, 2004-05 and 2005-06.
Hartwick senior Jack Armstrong garnered 2023-24 Empire 8 Diver of the Year accolades for the second consecutive season. Last month, Armstrong garnered Empire 8 Diver of the Championship Meet honors for the second straight year. On Feb. 14, Armstrong opened the week by winning the E8 Championship in the 3-meter diving event with a score of 494.30. He completed the E8 sweep in the 1-meter event two days later, recording an impressive score of 439.05. He is now a four-time E8 Diving Champion. Armstrong is the fifth student-athlete in league history to earn consecutive E8 Diver of the Year honors.
Hartwick’s Hassan Abdelwahed garnered 2023-24 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year honors. He 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 at the event with a time of 2:07.03. Abdelwahed also placed second to Schultz in the 200-yard individual medley in a time of 1:56.29. He also helped lead Hartwick to E8 runner-up finishes in the 200- and 400-yard medley relay events.
The Hartwick College coaching staff, led by head coach Dale Rothenberger, earned Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year honors. The Hawks won their first Empire 8 Championship since 2006 and third league championship overall. Eleven different Golden Flyers earned All-Empire 8 accolades. It is Rothenberger’s second E8 Coaching Staff of the Year honor, having also won in 2005-06.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2023-24 Men'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 sportsmen.
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 14-17 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.
2023-24 Empire 8 Men’s Swimming & Diving Award Winners
Swimmer of the Year: Mikey Schultz, Sr., Hartwick
Diver of the Year: Jack Armstrong, Sr., Hartwick
Rookie of the Year: Hassan Abdelwahed, Fr., Hartwick
Coaching Staff of the Year: Hartwick, led by head coach Dale Rothenberger
Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year
Fernando Lagos, Sr., Alfred
Brady Haraden, Sr., Hartwick
Cameron Fairley, Sr., Nazareth
2023-24 Empire 8 Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship All-Conference Selections
50-Yard Freestyle
First Team: Ryan Hough, Sr., Nazareth – :20.71
Second Team: Colby Watkins, Jr., Alfred – :21.63
100-Yard Freestyle
First Team: Ryan Hough, Sr., Nazareth – :45.36
Second Team: Emmanuel Drappatz, Fr., Alfred – :48.19
200-Yard Freestyle
First Team: Ryan Hough, Sr., Nazareth – 1:42.65
Second Team: Cameron Fairley, Sr., Nazareth – 1:45.35
500-Yard Freestyle
First Team: Cameron Drake, Fr., Hartwick – 4:47.90
Second Team: Cameron Fairley, Jr., Nazareth – 4:49.61
1,650-Yard Freestyle
First Team: Cameron Drake, Fr., Hartwick – 16:03.60
Second Team: Owen James, Fr., Hartwick – 16:46.91
100-Yard Backstroke
First Team: Will LaMastus, Jr., Alfred – :52.02
Second Team: Paul Tuttle, Jr., Alfred – :52.92
200-Yard Backstroke
First Team: Will LaMastus, Jr., Alfred – 1:54.76
Second Team: Phil Volaski, Sr., Alfred – 1:57.13
100-Yard Breaststroke
First Team: Hassan Abdelwahed, Fr., Hartwick – :56.68
Second Team: Evan Nezat, Jr., Hartwick – :57.84
200-Yard Breaststroke
First Team: Hassan Abdelwahed, Fr., Hartwick – 2:07.03
Second Team: Emiliano Terrazas, Sr., Alfred – 2:08.73
100-Yard Butterfly
First Team: Mikey Schultz, Sr., Hartwick – :49.04
Second Team: Colby Watkins, Jr., Alfred – :51.58
200-Yard Butterfly
First Team: Mikey Schultz, Sr., Hartwick – 1:49.34
Second Team: Boden Tito, Fr., Hartwick – 1:58.29
200-Yard Individual Medley
First Team: Mikey Schultz, Sr., Hartwick – 1:53.61
Second Team: Hassan Abdelwahed, Fr., Hartwick – 1:56.29
400-Yard Individual Medley
First Team: Boden Tito, Fr., Hartwick – 4:10.52
Second Team: Will LaMastus, Jr., Alfred – 4:14.20
1-Meter Diving
First Team: Jack Armstrong, Sr., Hartwick – 439.05
Second Team: Ryan Way, So., Alfred – 366.30
3-Meter Diving
First Team: Jack Armstrong, Sr., Hartwick – 494.30
Second Team: Ryan Way, So., Alfred – 360.00
200-Yard Freestyle Relay
First Team: Cameron Fairley, Sr., William Danaher, Jr., Adam DelGrand, Jr., Ryan Hough, Sr., Nazareth – 1:26.71
Second Team: Colby Watkins, Jr., Fernando Lagos, Sr., Paul Tuttle, Jr., Emmanuel Drappatz, Fr.., Alfred – 1:27.05
400-Yard Freestyle Relay
First Team: Emmanuel Drappatz, Fr., Will LaMastus, Jr., Colby Watkins, Jr., Alfred – 3:11.44
Second Team: Cameron Fairley, Sr.., William Danaher, Jr., Adam DelGrand, Jr., Ryan Hough, Sr., Nazareth – 3:11.58
800-Yard Freestyle Relay
First Team: Bryce Rogers, Fr., Nic Tirrell, Jr., Cameron Drake, Fr., Mikey Schultz, Sr., Hartwick – 6:59.19
Second Team: Ryan Hough, Sr., Kai D’Alessandro, Sr., Adam DelGrand, Jr., Cameron Fairley, Sr., Nazareth –
7:04.38
200-Yard Medley Relay
First Team: Will LaMastus, Jr., Wade LaMastus, Jr., Colby Watkins, Jr., Emmanuel Drappatz, Fr., Alfred – 1:33.92
Second Team: Owen James, Fr., Hassan Abdelwahed, Fr., Mikey Schultz, Sr., Sebastian Knowles, Jr., Hartwick – 1:35.77
400-Yard Medley Relay
First Team: Will LaMastus, Jr., Wade LaMastus, Jr., Colby Watkins, Jr., Emmanuel Drappatz, Fr., Alfred – 3:27.48
Second Team: Owen James, Fr., Hassan Abdelwahed, Fr., Mikey Schultz, Sr., Bryce Rogers, Fr., Hartwick – 3:28.77
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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