Past Team Champions
Past Individual Champions
An event-by-event preview of the 2013 Men's Swimming and Diving E8 Championships:
50 Freestyle: Four of the top five finishers from a year ago all return in 2013 so the scoreboard could have a déjà vu look to it. Defending champion Lydon Schultz returns for Hartwick and runner-up Zack Kundel returns for Ithaca. Steven’s Shawn Hanak and Joseph Huyett finished third and fifth a year ago and will try to become the first individual E8 champion in the event for the Ducks. Hanak holds the top seed time of 21.18.
100 Freestyle: Hartwick senior Lydon Schultz is the two-time defending champion in the event and holds the top seed time of 45.86. An E8 swimmer has never won the event three years in a row, however RIT Erik Zelbacher won the event three times (2003, 2005 and 2006). Stevens freshman Bryon Held sits second on the seed list (46.42), followed by teammate Joe Huyett (46.44) who was the runner-up in 2012 by .06 seconds.
200 Freestyle: The top three times entering the meet all belong to Steven’s and are separated by .11 seconds. Junior Nick Noga was third a year ago and enters with the second seed time, while Hartwick’s Miles Blaney was the runner-up last year by .03 seconds and ranks ninth on the seed list.
500 Freestyle: Hartwick’s Kenny Kleso will look to become first back-to-back champion in the event, since Steve Barnes won the event in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Kelso has the third fastest seed time but will be challenged by a trio of Stevens swimmers. Sophomore Wesley Elford holds the top time of 4:31.94 (ranks 10
th in Division III), while Alex Benham (2010 champion) and Nick Noga complete the top four.
1650 Freestyle: Stevens sophomore Wesley Elford has the top performance in the league by almost 20 seconds with a time of 15:46.22 (7
th in DIII), which would have placed three seconds ahead of 2012 champion Kenny Kleso. Kleso returns for Hartwick with the third seed time, while teammate Luke Grunewald sits fourth.
100 Backstroke: Stevens Shawn Hanak, runner up from 2012, owns the top time on the performance list. But it is teammate Greg Charriez who returns as the defending champion in the event. Ithaca’s Connor White (2011 champion and third place in 2012) is ranked fourth in the event and has a chance at top honors.
200 Backstroke: Defending champion Shawn Hanak returns for the Ducks with the second fastest seed time. Freshman Ravi Sun will look to take top honors in his rookie season as ranks 17
th in Division III and holds the top seed time (1:50.38 – a full second ahead of Hanak’s winning time last year).
100 Breaststroke: Hartwick’s Kenny Kleso will try to become the first Hawk to stand on top of the podium in 100 breaststroke. Kleso holds the top time (57.78) and is followed by a quintet of Stevens’ swimmers. Ithaca’s Jake Lichter is ranked seventh but has experience in this event on his side as he is the 2011 champion in the event and 2012 runner up.
200 Breaststroke: The three-time champion in this event has graduated leaving the top spot on the podium up for grabs. Ithaca’s Jake Lichter took runner up honors in 2012 and is ranked sixth 92:12.60) in the event, but Hartwick’s Kenny Kelso will try to keep the event title in the Hawk family as he is ranked fourth (2:12.29), but it won’t be easy as the top seed time of 2:05.84 belongs to Stevens freshman Craig O’Dell.
100 Butterfly: Stevens has yet to win an individual E8 title in this event but with the Ducks hold eight of the top 10 seed times, the odds look to be favor of the Ducks. Ithaca’s Taylor Van Cott and defending champion Connor White are also ranked in the top ten and will try to keep the leader board Duck free.
200 Butterfly: Ithaca junior Taylor Van Cott returns to defend his 2011 and 2012 titles and currently holds the fifth seed time of 1:56.40 entering the meet. An E8 swimmer has never completed a three-peat in this event, will 2013 be the year that all changes? Not if the Hu brothers from Steven’s have anything to say about it. John Hu (2010 champion) holds the top time of 1:49.81 while Price Hu sits second (1:54.65).
200 IM: This event will have a completely different look to it as the top two finishers from last year graduated and the top ten seed times didn’t compete in the event in 2012. The top seed time goes to Steven’s senior John Hu whose 1:51.84 ranks tenth in Division III.
400 IM: It could be a 1-2-3 sweep by the Ducks in this event as the top four seed times in the even belong to Stevens. John Hu holds the top time in the event of 3:55.91 (ranking second in DIII), nine full seconds ahead of Alex Benham. Alfred’s Zachary Toth finished second last year and holds the sixth seed time.
200 Free Relay: Three different schools have won this event in the last three years, but it was Ithaca who claimed the title in 2012. Ithaca finished with a new E8 record time of 1:22.81. Stevens and Hartwick took second and third, separated by .03 hundredths of a second. The Ducks own the top seed time of 1:23.34, followed by Ithaca (1:24.25).
400 Free Relay: This event always provides an exciting end to the championships and last year was certainly no exception. Hartwick out-touched Stevens by one second. Hartwick could return three of its four relay members and Stevens could enter the same line-ups for an exciting rematch or the rosters may change but one thing is for certain this is one event that keeps fans on the edge of their seats. Entering the championship, Stevens has the top time in the 400-meter relay at 3:05.47 and will be looking for its third win in the last four years.
800 Free Relay: Hartwick set a new E8 record time of 6:46.45 in the event last year and is ranked second on the performance list. Stevens ranks first, while Ithaca is third. The Bombers haven’t won the event since 2004.
200 Medley Relay: Ithaca is the two- time defending champion in the event but it is Stevens who holds the season’s top mark, notching a time of 1:32.67. The Ducks last won the 200 MR relay event in 2010. Ithaca ranks second (1:33.96) followed by Hartwick (1:35.39).
400 Medley Relay: Ithaca has won this relay event for the last two years, will they make it number three? Three of the four swimmers return for the Bombers who holds the third top time on the season of 3:30.61. Hartwick missed the top spot by .44 seconds a year ago and will be looking for its first win in the event since 2005 but will have to out race a tough Steven’s team to take top honors.
Diving:
Ithaca’s Martin Brown and Matt Morrison should be the top contenders on the boards. Brown was a two-time all-American in his first-career appearance at the NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships in 2012. Brown placed 10th on 3-meter and 11th on the 1-meter board at the NCAAs. He was named Diver of the Meet at the Empire 8 Championships after winning the conference title on both boards. Morrison placed second on the 1-meter and third on the 3-meter in his rookie season at the conference meet.