DAY 1 RESULTS
ITHACA, N.Y. – The Liberty League Swimming and Diving Championships kicked off Wednesday at the Kelsey Partridge Bird Natatorium at Ithaca College with five men's events and four women's events. Two championship records fell on the first night of competition.
DAY 1 TEAM SCORES:
MEN: 1. Ithaca 502; 2. RIT 439.5; 3. Clarkson 254.5; 4. RPI 233; 5. Skidmore 120; 6. Union 114; 7. Vassar 103; 8. Hobart 83; 9. St. Lawrence 63.
WOMEN: 1. Ithaca 386; 2. RPI 268; 3. Skidmore 247; 4. Vassar 199; 5. RIT 180; 6. Union 92; 7. Clarkson 81; 8. St. Lawrence 68; 9. William Smith 42.
Highlights from Wednesday's championship action:
MEN
- Ithaca displayed its team depth, compiling 502 points through five events to take an early 62.5-point lead over second-place RIT. The Bombers placed 11 swimmers in the 'A' finals of the three swimming events while also winning the first relay of the championship.
- Ithaca senior Ryan Cooke broke his own meet and association record, winning the 500-yard freestyle with an NCAA B-cut time of 4:31.98. Cook broke his record of 4:32.32 set at last year's championship
- RIT senior Stephen Graver swam to victory in the 200-yard individual medley, winning the event in 1:54.03. Graver, who had the third-fastest qualifying time in the morning (1:54.66), edged out three other swimmers by less than a tenth of a second. Clarkson junior Owen Wright and Ithaca first-year Ben Lajoie tied for second in 1:54.07.
- Ithaca graduate student Matt Mitros successfully defended his title in the 50-yard freestyle, recording a winning time of 19.92, which was good for an NCAA B-cut. Mitros finished comfortably ahead of runner-up, junior Gavin Stuhler of Clarkson, who finished in 20.62.
- Ithaca's 400-yard medley relay squad, consisting of junior Alec Kutsner, sophomore Will Stanczewski, Mitros, and Cooke, posted a winning time of 3:20.03. The Bomber squad edged second-place RIT, which touched the wall in 3:20.36.
- Hobart senior Daniel Barrientos set a meet and pool record in the 3-meter diving event with a finals score of 630.10. Barrientos broke the championship and pool record of 625.80 set by Sam Hoyt of Union at the 2017 championship.
WOMEN
- Ithaca began the defense of its Liberty League title with a strong opening day. The Bombers compiled 386 points and forged a 118-point lead over second-place RPI (268).
- Vassar College senior Addie Wiener swam to victory in the 500-yard freestyle for the fourth straight year. Wiener, who was seeded second in the event entering the finals, improved her prelim time by more than five seconds, winning in 5:02.75. She touched the wall more than three seconds ahead of Skidmore junior Jae Mason (5:06.50).
- Ithaca junior Kathleen Papiernik was a repeat champion in the 200-yard individual medley, winning a close race in 2:06.11, nearly the same time as last year (2:06.10). Skidmore junior Kelly Hsu finished just over a tenth of a second behind (2:06.22).
- RIT first-year swimmer Taryn Hickey earned the win in the 50-yard freestyle, touching the wall in 23.70. Hickey won a close race in which the top four swimmers touched the wall within two-tenths of a second. Ithaca junior Spencer Carroll (23.79) was the runner-up.
- The Ithaca 400-yard medley relay squad, consisting of senior Elke Beaumont, sophomore Sydney Koehler, junior Kathleen Papiernik, and junior Samantha Bender, swam to victory in 3:50.31, winning by nearly six seconds over runner-up RPI (3:56.11).