SUNY New Paltz Swim Teams Bring Home Four ECAC Championships

SYRACUSE, NY — The SUNY New Paltz women’s swim team took third place (524 points) in this weekend’s Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship Meet, while the men finished in sixth (178 points).

With the completion of the final day the Hawks brought home four ECAC Championships. This morning, senior Joanna Masterson (Canandaigua, NY) grabbed her second ECAC Championship of the weekend with a first place in the 50-yard freestyle, touching in 24.80. Masterson had achieved her first championship at the completion of session three on Saturday morning, in the 100-yard freestyle. Junior Liz Delia (Oswego, NY) also swam to a championship Saturday morning, in the 200-yard backstroke. Junior Katie Rapp (Liverpool, NY) won the 100-yard backstroke in session four of the ECAC Championship on Saturday night.

The SUNY New Paltz women’s relay teams secured second place finishes in the 400-yard medley relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay. ECAC Champions, Masterson and Delia, joined sophomores Laura Lipp (St. James, NY) and Liz Ruggiero (Congers, NY) for a second place finish in a time of 4:10.82, in the 400-yard medley relay. Masterson later teamed up with another ECAC Champion, Katie Rapp, to help sophomore Regina Davide (Ossining, NY) and junior Ashley Williamson (Holland Patent, NY) place second in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:46.88).

The SUNY New Paltz men’s relay teams brought home sixth and seventh place finishes in the 400-yard medley relay and 400-yard freestyle relay, respectively. Sophomores John Fleckenstein (Port Jefferson, NY), Nick Johnson (Highland Mills, NY) and Brendan Lown (Bohemia, NY) joined senior Jeff Melton (Acworth, GA) for a time of 3:51.11 in the 400-yard medley relay. Melton and Lown would later team up with freshmen Chad Santa Maria (Rexford, NY) and Kevin Kent (Beacon Falls, CT) for a time of 3:28.28 in the 400-yard freestyle relay.

Rapp and freshman Nicole Moss (Williamsville, NY) provided top finishes for the Hawks in their individual events. Rapp placed 14th in the 200-yard individual medley (2:21.70), while Moss took eighth in the 500-yard freestyle (5:37.16). Santa Maria, Melton, and Fleckenstein all swam to top finishes in their individual events for the men. Santa Maria swam 15th in the 500-yard freestyle relay (5:09.18), Melton finished the 50-yard freestyle in 23.77 for 35th place, and Fleckenstein grabbed 12th place in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:09.17.

For complete results from this weekend’s ECAC Championship meet please visit the following web page: www.besmarttinc.com.

The SUNY New Paltz swim teams will travel to conference rival, Geneseo, on Thursday, January 12, for a 1:00 pm dual meet.