Masterson Named SUNYAC Female MVP, Earns Mowatt Award

BUFFALO, NY — Senior Joanna Masterson (Canandaigua, NY) continued her dominance in the water as she led the SUNY New Paltz women’s swim team to a third place finish at the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championship Meet, this weekend. The women’s team finished with 566 team points.

Masterson collected four SUNYAC Championships en route to earning Most Valuable Female Swimmer Honors and garnering the Grace Mowatt Award. SUNY New Paltz received conference championships in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard medley relay from the performance of Masterson. Masterson started out this year’s championship meet with a bang swimming to a new varsity, conference and meet record in the 50-yard freestyle during Friday’s opening preliminary round. Her time of 24.01, in the 50-yard freestyle, was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Provisional Qualifying Time earning Masterson a trip to the University of Minnesota on March 9-11 for the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships. At the NCAA Championships, Masterson will also be participating in the in the 100-yard freestyle, in which she also earned a SUNYAC championship and finished with a National Provisional Qualifying Time of 52.89. Masterson swam a 1:56.90 in the 200-yard freestyle to set a new meet record and earn her a third individual SUNYAC championship. In the 200-yard medley relay, Masterson teamed with junior Katie Rapp (Liverpool, NY) and sophomores Laura Lipp (St. James, NY) and Liz Ruggiero (Congers, NY) for her fourth championship of the meet, touching in 1:51.15.

This marks the second time, in as many years, that Masterson has earned recognition as the top female swimmer at the SUNYAC Championship Meet. Masterson won the Most Outstanding Female Swimmer award at the 2005 SUNYAC Swimming and Diving Championship. With this year’s results, Masterson is now a two-time conference champion in the 50-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle, and a three-time conference champion in the 100-yard freestyle. Masterson was also bestowed with the Grace Mowatt Award, which is given annually at the SUNYAC Championship to the female swimmer who combines athletic accomplishment with academic achievement over a four-year period. Kent Yeung was a co-recipient of the male equivalent, the James Fulton Award, following the 2005 SUNYAC Championship Meet.

Masterson already grabbed two Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships in December. Masterson swam to a first place finish in the 50-yard freestyle, touching in 24.80, and in the 100-yard freestyle (54.85). She will compete next at the ECAC Open Championships, scheduled for February 24-26, at the University of Pittsburgh.