Swimming at ECAC Championships – Coombs Claims Four Individual and Two Relay Titles

The SUNY New Paltz swimming teams competed at the Easter Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship Dec. 1-3 at the Nassau Aquatics Center in Eisenhower Park, located in East Meadow, NY. The women’s team finished sixth out of 14 teams with 348.50 points, which the men finished 10th out of 16 with 137 points.
Senior Michelle Coombs highlighted the weekend claiming four individual titles and two relays. She won the 50 free (24.31) and 100 free (52.91) setting a national cut time and breaking the ECAC record in both. Coombs went on to claim the 200 free (1:54.55) in a national cut time, setting the ECAC record, New Paltz varsity record and the SUNYAC conference record. She placed first in the 100 backstroke in a national cut time of 58.82. Coombs teamed up with Laura Lipp, Liz Ruggiero, and Ashley Williamson to win the 200 medley relay in a national cut time of 1:50.67, setting the New Paltz varsity record and a new ECAC record. The 200 free relay team of Coombs, Regina Davide, Williamson and Beth Colebeck touched in a first place time of 1:41.39.
Other highlights included Liz Delia finishing fifth in the 400 IM (4:50.97). In the 200 backstroke Delia finished ninth (2:16.59) and Katie Rapp touched 10th (2:17.14). Joelle Hopf finished seventh in the 200 breaststroke in 2:31.99, while Davide placed ninth (2:34.57).
The 800 free relay team of Coombs, Delia, Davide and Hopf finished fourth (8:12.41), and the 400 medley relay of Coombs, Ruggiero, Hopf and Williamson placed fourth (4:09.13).

On the men’s side Stephen Cozzolongo posted the highest individual finish with an eighth place mark in the 100 backstroke (55.69). Cozzolongo finished 11th in the 200 backstroke in a time of 2:02.54, and Zack Lowenstein touched 13th in 2:03.56. Johnny Fleckenstein placed 10th in the 400 IM (4:28.83), Danny Lo finished 15th in the 200 breaststroke (2:21.54), and Lowenstein grabbed an 11th place mark in the 200 IM (2:03.80).
Cozzolongo teamed with Lo, Mark Chipman and Brendan Lown in the 200 medley relay and finished eighth in a time of 1:42.99, cutting 2.22 seconds off their seed time. Cozzolongo, Lo, Joe Fails, and Chipman placed eighth in the 400 medley relay (3:48.51) and Stefan Crain, Fleckenstein, Brian Bennett, and Lowenstein touched eighth in the 800 free relay (7:35.63).

For complete results please click here.