Women's Swimming and Diving | 3/31/2026 3:00:00 PM
SUNY Geneseo junior All-American Alex Sotek was named Empire 8 Swimmer of the Year honor, while her teammate, fellow All-American Morgan Davey was named Diver of the Year, as the Empire 8 Conference announced its 2025-26 Women’s Swimming & Diving All-Conference awards on Tuesday, March 31. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Sotek earned Second Team All-American honors in the 100-yard butterfly and was 19th nationally in the 50-yard freestyle at the 2026 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championship. A native of New Lebanon, NY, Sotek was named Empire 8 Swimmer of the Championship Meet in February. She won individual titles in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly and was also part of the winning 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams and 200- and 400-yard freestyle relay teams. She was part of the 400-yard medley relay team that shattered an Empire 8 Championship and overall record with a time of 1:42.82, which was also an NCAA “B” cut time. In just two seasons with the E8, Sotek has won five individual E8 titles and is a member of eight championship relay teams.
Davey earned Second Team All-American honors in both the 1- and 3-meter diving events at the 2026 NCAA Championships. She placed 10th nationally in both events at nationals. Davey also garnered Empire 8 Diver of the Championship Meet accolades last month. Davey won the 1-meter event on with a score of 462.00 and was runner-up in the 3-meter event with a finals score of 465.40. A four-time E8 Diver of the Meet in 2025-26, Davey finished second in the 1-meter board at the NCAA Region 4 Championships to qualify for nationals.
SUNY Geneseo first-year standout Chloe Marcyan was named the 2025-26 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year. Marcyan enjoyed a tremendous debut for the Knights, winning the 200-yard butterfly in addition to the 200- and 400-yard individual medley events at the Empire 8 Championship in February. She recorded a personal-best time of 2:09.29 while winning the 200-IM, took the 400-IM in 4:35.53 and won the 200-fly in a time of 2:10.00.
The SUNY Geneseo coaching staff, led by head coach Paul Dotterweich, diving coach Shawn Austin, and assistant coach Noah Farmer earned Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year honors for the second straight season. The Knights repeated as 2025-26 Empire 8 Champions, while 16 different Knights earned All-Empire 8 accolades. In addition, the Knights finished 28th at the NCAA Championships, while Morgan Davey and Alex Sotek earned All-American honors.
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 18-21 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.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2025-26 Women’s Swimming and Diving Tomorrow’s Leaders Team. This team honors a student-athlete who has emerged as a leader not only on the field of play, but in the classroom and in the community. In addition, they “compete with honor and integrity” and have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
“Developing character and integrity is a hallmark of the Empire 8,” said E8 Executive Director
Chuck Mitrano. “This series is proof that Empire 8 and our member institutions are committed to intercollegiate athletics’ important role in higher education.”
2025-26 Empire 8 Women’s Swimming & Diving Award Winners
Swimmer of the Year: Alex Sotek, Jr., SUNY Geneseo
Diver of the Year: Morgan Davey, Fr., SUNY Geneseo
Rookie of the Year: Chloe Marcyan, Fr., SUNY Geneseo
Coaching Staff of the Year: SUNY Geneseo, led by head coach Paul Dotterweich
Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year
Mariam Kiragu, Jr., Alfred (Gaborone, Botswana/Legae Academy)
Hannah Pauly, Sr., SUNY Brockport (Sanborn, NY/Niagara Wheatfield)
Emily Thomas, Jr., SUNY Geneseo (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena)
Anna Bischoff, Sr., Hartwick (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta)
Ellen Burroughs, Jr., Nazareth (Aurora, NY/Southern Cayuga)
2025-26 Empire 8 Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship All-Conference Selections
50-Yard Freestyle
First Team: Alex Sotek, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – :23.21
Second Team: Erin Johannsen, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – :23.77
100-Yard Freestyle
First Team: Alex Sotek, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – :51.93
Second Team: Erin Johannsen, Sr., SUNY – :52.47
200-Yard Freestyle
First Team: Abby Funk, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 1:55.39
Second Team: Hannah Brockman, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 1:56.25
500-Yard Freestyle
First Team: Abby Funk, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 5:04.68
Second Team: Hannah Brockman, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 5:04.95
1,650-Yard Freestyle
First Team: Hannah Brockman, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 17:20.84
Second Team: Abby Funk, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 17:44.55
100-Yard Backstroke
First Team: Elizabeth Share, So., Alfred – :58.07
Second Team: Anna Lowe, Fr., SUNY Brockport – :58.26
200-Yard Backstroke
First Team: Elizabeth Share, So., Alfred – 2:04.88
Second Team: Maya Marcyan, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 2:05.22
100-Yard Breaststroke
First Team: Emily Thomas, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 1:03.38
Second Team: Addison Luce, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – 1:08.08
200-Yard Breaststroke
First Team: Emily Thomas, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 2:21.38
Second Team: Elaine Chen, Jr., Hartwick – 2:27.83
100-Yard Butterfly
First Team: Alex Sotek, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – :56.28
Second Team: Sibby Lowe, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – :58.01
200-Yard Butterfly
First Team: Chloe Marcyan, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – 2:10.00
Second Team: Maura Sheehan, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – 2:16.67
200-Yard Individual Medley
First Team: Chloe Marcyan, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – 2:09.29
Second Team: Molly McGourty, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – 2:10.59
400-Yard Individual Medley
First Team: Chloe Marcyan, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – 4:35.53
Second Team: Emily LeFrois-Heath, Sr., Nazareth – 4:38.17
1-Meter Diving
First Team: Morgan Davey, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – 462.00
Second Team: Lydia Benjamin, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 452.85
3-Meter Diving
First Team: Lydia Benjamin, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 473.70
Second Team: Morgan Davey, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – 465.40
200-Yard Freestyle Relay
First Team: Alex Sotek, Jr., Erin Johannsen, Sr., Sibby Lowe, Fr., Emily McCord, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 1:33.96 (Empire 8 Championship Record)
Second Team: Anna Lowe, Fr., Skylar King, Fr., Varshana Ramgulam, So., Madeline Erhardt, Sr., SUNY Brockport – 1:37.73
400-Yard Freestyle Relay
First Team: Alex Sotek, Jr., Erin Johannsen, Sr., Sibby Lowe, Fr., Courtney Sorbello, Jr., SUNY Geneseo – 3:30.16
Second Team: Madeline Erhardt, Sr., Skylar King, Fr., Varshana Ramgulam, So., Anna Lowe, Fr., SUNY Brockport – 3:35.74
800-Yard Freestyle Relay
First Team: Abby Funk, Sr., Hannah Brockman, Sr., Thalia Marquez, So., Maura O’Donnell, Fr., SUNY Geneseo – 7:50.14
Second Team: Anna Bischoff, Sr., Dani Decarlo, Jr., Kate Gucciardi, So., Cate Russo, Jr., Hartwick – 8:00.60
200-Yard Medley Relay
First Team: Alex Sotek, Jr., Emily Thomas, Jr., Sibby Lowe, Fr., Erin Johannsen, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 1:42.82 (Empire 8 Championship Record)
Second Team: Anna Lowe, Fr., Lindsey Spitz, Sr., Madeline Erhardt, Sr., Skylar King, Fr., SUNY Brockport – 1:48.39
400-Yard Medley Relay
First Team: Maya Marcyan, Sr., Emily Thomas, Jr., Alex Sotek, Jr., Erin Johannsen, Sr., SUNY Geneseo – 3:48.78
Second Team: Hannah Ramos, So., Addy Martino, Sr., Madeline Erhardt, Sr., Anna Lowe, Fr., SUNY Brockport – 4:03.34