For Immediate Release: February 13, 2006
Contact: Janelle Feuz, SUNYAC Publicist

Oswego Women and Geneseo Men Win 2006 SUNYAC Swimming and Diving Championships

Lakers claim second consecutive title while the Blue Wave wins their eighth straight

            FREDONIA, NY – The Oswego Women and Geneseo Men’s swimming and diving teams captured titles at the 2006 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championships held at Erie Community College’s Burt Flickinger Aquatic Center.

            The Oswego women’s team came out on top for the second consecutive year with 827 points. Cortland finished second with 596 points and New Paltz was third with 566 points. Leading the way for Oswego were juniors Leslie Simrell (Ithaca) and Meredith Thomas (Newburgh), who were both double winners. Simrell captured the 500 freestyle in 5:14.10 and defended her title in the 1650 freestyle in 18:03.53. Thomas won both the 100 and 200 butterfly in 58.86 and 2:09.76, respectively. Her time in the 200 butterfly was an NCAA provisional qualifier. Sophomore Blair Pecka (Binghamton) defended her 100 backstroke title in a time of 1:01.56. Pecka and Thomas were also part of the winning 800 free relay in a new SUNYAC meet and conference record time of 7:52.98. The Lakers captured the 400 free relay in a NCAA provisional time of 3:34.39, setting a new SUNYAC meet and conference record.

            Cortland claimed two relays and two individual events. Junior Nikki LaBarge (Morrisonville/Peru) captured the 200 IM in 2:11.48, while first year teammate Lauren Friedlander (Woodsbury/Syosset) posted an NCAA provisional time of 2:09.40 in the 200 backstroke. The Red Dragons won the 400 medley relay in 4:02.89 and the 200 free relay in 1:37.76, an NCAA provisional time.

            The New Paltz Hawks were led by senior Joanna Masterson (Canandaigua) who collected three individual titles and was part of a winning relay en route to earning Most Outstanding Female Swimmer Honors. Masterson defended her titles in the 50, 100, and 200 free. She set NCAA provisional qualifying times in the 50 and the 100 with times of 24.16 and 52.89, respectively.  Masterson swam a 1:56.90 in the 200 freestyle to set a new meet record and she was part of the winning 200 medley relay, touching in 1:51.15.

            Kelly Stoklosa (West Seneca/West Seneca West) was a double winner for the Buffalo State Bengals. Stoklosa won both the 100 and 200 breaststroke in 1:09.16 and 2:30.10, respectively. Lindsay Dressel (Buffalo/Kenmore West) of Geneseo was the lone winner for the Blue Wave as she captured the 400 IM in 4:40.01, a new SUNYAC meet and conference record.

            The 2006 SUNYAC Outstanding Female Diver was presented to first year Kelly Sponholz (Alden) of Fredonia. Sponholz claimed both the one and three meter diving titles. She posted a 436.70 in the three meter dive, then went on to post a 465.85 in the one meter dive, setting a new SUNYAC meet and conference record.

            The Geneseo men’s team won their eighth straight SUNYAC crown with 845.5 points, as Cortland claimed second with 650.5 points. The Blue Wave was led by the butterfly trio of Josh Hinman (Weedsport), Chris Norton (Wyoming/Notre Dame), and Mike Wiese (Buffalo/Kenmore West) who place 1-2-3 in the 100 fly with times of 51.68, 52.52, and 53.41, respectively. Hinman, Wiese, and Norton went on to place 1-2-3 in the 200 fly in times of 1:54.91 (NCAA provisional), 1:56.51, and 1:58.29, respectively.  Senior Evan Smith (Pine Bush) posted a win in the 100 backstroke with a time of 53.54. Junior James Kallio (Avon) won the 200 breast in a SUNYAC meet record and NCAA provisional time of 2:06.77. Sophomore John Zolna (Floral Park) won on the 50 free and anchored the winning 200 free, 400 free and 400 medley relays to lead the Blue Wave. Zolna won the 50 free in 21.31. He teamed with Phil Szrama (Orchard Park), Kallio and Hinman in the 400 medley relay with a new SUNYAC meet and conference record of 3:29.40 (NCAA provisional). Zolna combined with Charlie Hake (Akron), Jerry Hinman (Weedsport), and Tim Stockton (Fairport) to win the 200 free relay in an NCAA provisional time of 1:24.48, setting a new SUNYAC meet and conference record. The 400 free relay of Kevin VanDerMeid (Livonia), Hake, Jerry Hinman, and Zolna won in a time of 3:09.55.

            The Cortland Red Dragons were led by junior Andrew Chevalier (Chazy) who defended both his titles in the 200 and 400 IM with times of 1:57.09 and 4:11.11, respectively. Sophomore Brett Humphreys (Amdsterdam) won the 100 breaststroke in a new SUNYAC meet record of 57.89, setting an NCAA provisional time. Humphreys was part of the winning 200 medley relay, touching in 1:36.16. First year David Dow (Glastonbury, CT) swam to a first place finish in the 1650 free for the Red Dragons in a time of 16:36.30.

            The Oswego Lakers were led by sophomore Greg Doyle (Uslter Park) who claimed two individual titles and was part of a winning relay en route to garnering the Most Outstanding Male Swimmer Award. Doyle claimed both the 100 and 200 freestyle events in 46.97 and 1:41.85 (NCAA provisional), respectively. Junior Jason Cotter (Oswego) defended his 500 freestyle title in a time of 4:42.36. Doyle and Cotter were both part of the winning 800 free relay team in a time of 7:02.57. Peter Millspaugh (Pine Bush) was the lone winner for Oneonta claimed the 200 backstroke in 1:56.84.

            The 2006 SUNYAC Outstanding Male Diver was presented to sophomore Kevin Morgan (Saratoga Springs) of Oswego. Morgan defended his title in the one meter dive with a score of 483.10. He claimed the three meter dive title with a score of 490.05.

            The James Fulton and Grace Mowatt Awards are given annually to a male and female swimmer/diver for outstanding athletic and academic achievement in their collegiate career. The 2006 recipient of the Grace Mowatt award was Masterson, while Wiese claimed the James Fulton honor.

            Kami Gardner won her sixth straight women’s Coach of the Year award after leading the Lakers to their second consecutive SUNYAC title. Brian Tobin won the men’s Coach of the Year award for the second time in his career, after leading Cortland to a second place finish.

 

 

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