February 12, 2011
Geneseo Women Claim 2011 Swimming and Diving Championship
Results
The Geneseo Women's swimming and diving team won their fourth consecutive State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championship Saturday night at the Burt Flickinger Center on the campus of Erie Community College in Buffalo, NY. Geneseo totaled 771.5 points during the three-day meet to runnerup New Paltz’s 664.5.
Geneseo won two events on the night led by senior Michelle Rodriguez who won her third individual event of the meet with an NCAA provisional cut time of 51.44 in the 100 freestyle. New Paltz’s Christine Rieth also posted a provisional time of 52.55 and Kaitlin Mergler took third place in 53.45, which was the highest finish by the Bengals throughout the meet.
Sophomore Kaitlin Wilcoxen was the other top finisher for the Knights with an NCAA provisional time in the 200 breaststroke (2:24.67). Wilcoxen beat her competitors by three and a half seconds as Rachel Phillips of Cortland took second (2:28.17) and Becky Baker of New Paltz touched third (2:29.04).
New Paltz won three individual events as freshman Chelsea Allocco picked up her second win of the meet with an NCAA provisional time in the 1650 freestyle (17:29.32). Teammate Jessica Lester finished second in 17:33.32, also a provisional qualifying mark, and Geneseo’s Meghan Green took third place (17:35.30). Sophomore Yuka Suzuka posted her second individual win of the meet as well when she successfully defended her title in the 200 backstroke (2:07.41). Geneseo Lauren Boyce was right behind at 2:07.95 and Cortland’s Abigail MacDonald was third in 2:08.46.
The 200 yard butterfly was down to the last second as New Paltz’s Carly Marshall out-touched second and third place by four-hundredths and three-tenths, respectively. Marshall’s time was 2:10.32, followed by Cortland’s Chrisanna Hickey (2:10.36) and Geneseo’s Lily Powell (2:10.63).
Brockport senior Maria Quagliana earned the first SUNYAC title of her career with a win on the 1-meter board. Quagliana posted an NCAA qualifying score of 440.10 followed by two Fredonia divers, Sarah Ficarro (437.50) and Ashley Keller (436.20).
New Paltz won three individual events as freshman Chelsea Allocco picked up her second win of the meet with an NCAA provisional time in the 1650 freestyle (17:29.32). Teammate Jessica Lester finished second in 17:33.32, also a provisional qualifying mark, and Geneseo’s Meghan Green took third place (17:35.30). Sophomore Yuka Suzuka posted her second individual win of the meet as well when she successfully defended her title in the 200 backstroke (2:07.41). Geneseo Lauren Boyce was right behind at 2:07.95 and Cortland’s Abigail MacDonald was third in 2:08.46.
The 200 yard butterfly was down to the last second as New Paltz’s Carly Marshall out-touched second and third place by four-hundredths and three-tenths, respectively. Marshall’s time was 2:10.32, followed by Cortland’s Chrisanna Hickey (2:10.36) and Geneseo’s Lily Powell (2:10.63).
Brockport senior Maria Quagliana earned the first SUNYAC title of her career with a win on the 1-meter board. Quagliana posted an NCAA qualifying score of 440.10 followed by two Fredonia divers, Sarah Ficarro (437.50) and Ashley Keller (436.20).
New Paltz also won their fourth relay event of the championship meet as Rieth, Lester, Marissa Morris and Allison Wells combined to capture the 400-freestyle in an NCAA provisional time of 3:31.86. Geneseo was second in a provisional cut time of 3:32.13 and Cortland took third in 3:34.36.
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
| Geneseo | 771.5 |
| New Paltz | 664.5 |
| Cortland | 573 |
| Fredonia | 478 |
| Oswego | 324 |
| Oneonta | 268 |
| Buffalo State | 168 |
| Potsdam | 155 |
| Brockport | 110 |
