BUFFALO, N.Y. – Freshman Leah Bernhardt (Groton) smashed the school record with her winning time in the 500-yard freestyle on Thursday and was part of Cortland's runner-up 800-yard freestyle relay that set a school record on Wednesday as the Red Dragons began competition at the 2020 SUNYAC Women's Swimming and Diving Championships.
 
Cortland is in second place out of nine schools after the first full day of events with 233 points. Geneseo leads the standings with 397 points, followed by Cortland, Brockport (132), New Paltz (129), Oswego and Oneonta (119 each), Fredonia (113), Potsdam (82) and Buffalo State (58). The competition continues Friday and Saturday at Erie Community College's Burt Flickinger Center.
 
Bernhardt broke the school 500 free record by more than three seconds with her victorious effort of 5:03.23. The previous mark was 5:06.74 by Krista Caputo in 2013. Her victory came just after her brother, Hunter Bernhardt, won the 500-yard freestyle for Cortland in the men's championship.
 
The Cortland quartet of Lily Miller (Buffalo/Starpoint), Kailyn Anselment (Queensbury/Glens Falls), Bernhardt and Marissa Kordal (Eden) finished second Wednesday in the 800-yard freestyle relay in 7:49.11, eclipsing the prior school record of 7:50.26 established by Kordal, Rachel Noach, Heidi Simpfenderfer and Kelly Davey (Plattsburgh) in 2018.
 
Davey finished second in the 50-yard freestyle in 23.68 seconds for her second straight runner-up finish in the event. She also swam on two second-place relay teams Thursday. Miller, Anni Muehlbauer (Heidelberg, Germany/Helmholtz-Gymnasium), Kordal and Davey finished the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:37.06, and Davey, Alana Szewczyk (South Wales/Holland), Julia Torell (Camillus/CBA) and Bernhardt were clocked at 3:57.06 in the 400-yard medley relay.
 
Taylor Williams (Slate Hill/Minisink Valley) finished third in 1-meter diving with 440.20 points, followed by Ashley Zachgo (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) in sixth (422.80 points), Adriane Casey (West Islip) in 12th (347.20 points) and Nicole Bellettiere (Slate Hill/Minisink Valley) in 15th (288.10 points).

The top three finishers in each event earn All-SUNYAC honors. Winners are first team, runners-up are second team and third-place finishers are third team.
 
Kordal turned in a fifth-place effort in the 200-yard individual medley (2:11.98) and Anselment was sixth in the 500 freestyle (5:15.92).
 
Other Red Dragon scorers on Thursday included: Muehlbauer (11th, 25.00, 24.83 prelims) and Allie Gibson (Watkins Glen) (14th, 25.64, 25.59 prelims) in the 50-yard freestyle; Erica Koumas (East Meadow) in the 200-yard IM (12th, 2:17.29); and Lauren McBrinn (Suffern/Paramus Catholic (NJ)) in the 500 freestyle (13th, 5:28.39, 5:27.26 prelims).

Championship Web Page (includes links to results, video and photos)
 

2020 SUNYAC Women's Swimming and Diving Championships

STANDINGS AFTER DAY 1  (first full day) (Feb. 20)
1) Geneseo - 397
2) Cortland - 233
3) Brockport - 132
4) New Paltz - 129
t5) Oswego - 119
t5) Oneonta - 119
7) Fredonia - 113
8) Potsdam - 82
9) Buffalo St. – 58