BUFFALO, N.Y. – Cortland finished in second place at the 2020 SUNYAC Swimming and Diving Championships for the second straight year, and in the process posted the program's best-ever score in the 37-year history of the event. The championship was conducted primarily from Thursday through Saturday, along with one event Wednesday, at Erie Community College's Burt Flickinger Center.

Geneseo won its 13th straight league title and 28th overall with 1,022 points. Cortland was a convincing second with 677 points. The Red Dragons' previous best scoring totals at a SUNYAC Championship were 656 points in 2007 and 633 points in 2012. New Paltz finished third with 375 points, followed by Oswego (354), Brockport (325), Oneonta (323), Fredonia (213), Potsdam (179) and Buffalo State (103). Cortland has finished in the top three of the conference 14 times in the last 17 years.

Senior Kelly Davey (Plattsburgh) received the SUNYAC's Grace Mowatt Award following the meet. The award is given annually to a senior female swimmer based on career athletic and academic achievement. A biology major with a 2.92 cumulative grade point, Davey won the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyle races at this year's championship and was the 100-yard freestyle champion last season. She was also an honorable mention All-American last season in the 50-yard freestyle (12th place nationally) and 100-yard freestyle (16th place nationally). Grace Mowatt earned her bachelor's degree from Cortland in 1959 and a master's degree from Cortland in 1963. She was the long-time women's swimming and diving coach at SUNY Oswego from 1963-93 and was a pioneer of women's swimming in the SUNYAC.
 

In addition, Cortland 18th-year head coach Brian Tobin and assistant swimming coaches Jacob Burchfield, Molly McCulloch and Nikki DiFilippo were honored as the 2020 SUNYAC Women's Swimming Coaching Staff of the Year.

Saturday's highlights included event victories by Davey and senior Erica Koumas (East Meadow), and a runner-up showing and school record in 3-meter diving by sophomore Taylor Williams (Slate Hill/Minisink Valley). Davey won the 100-yard freestyle (51.64) and Koumas was victorious in the 200-yard butterfly (2:08.31). Williams set a school 11-dive record on the 3-meter board in the preliminaries with a score of 486.05 points, then eclipsed that mark in the finals with her second-place score of 496.80 points. The previous school record of 485.60 points was by Miranda Fergus in 2015.

The 400-yard freestyle relay team of Davey, Anni Muehlbauer (Heidelberg, Germany/Helmholtz-Gymnasium), Marissa Kordal (Eden) and Lily Miller (Buffalo/Starpoint) finished second in 3:34.48. Julia Torell (Camillus/CBA) finished third in the 200 butterfly in 2:12.01.

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. Each athlete's top event finish at the meet is used to determine their official all-league placement.

Leah Bernhardt (Groton) placed fourth (17:45.01), Kailyn Anselment (Queensbury/Glens Falls) finished sixth (18:13.48) and Kordal was seventh (18:17.52) in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Miller was fifth in the 100-yard freestyle (54.07, 53.94 prelims) and Alana Szewczyk (South Wales/Holland) finished fifth in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:28.75).

Ashley Zachgo (Clifton Park/Shenendehowa) finished sixth in 3-meter diving (427.65 points, 441.60 points prelims), Muehlbauer finished seventh in the 200-yard backstroke (2:12.22) and Kelcey Madigan (Waverly) was eighth in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:33.54).

The Red Dragons earned 10 other scoring finishes during the final day. Adriane Casey (West Islip) was 10th (353.20 points), Nicole Bellettiere (Slate Hill/Minisink Valley) placed 12th (292.15 points, 313.20 points prelims) and Emma Heppner (Orchard Park) finished 14th (267.95 points) in 3-meter diving. Lauren McBrinn (Suffern/Paramus Catholic (NJ)) finished 11th in the 1,650 freestyle (18:51.43) and Becca Kanoza (Syracuse/West Genesee) was 11th in the 200 backstroke (2:13.75), and McBrinn was also 15th in the 200 backstroke (2:23.10).

Iris Incitti (Endwell/Maine-Endwell) finished 14th (2:38.16, 2:36.68 prelims), Vanessa Vegder (Dansville) placed 15th (2:38.29, 2:36.51 prelims) and Emma Gulbin (Wall, NJ) was 16th (2:40.40, 2:38.44) in the 200 breaststroke. Allie Gibson (Watkins Glen) finished 15th in the 100 freestyle (56.18).

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

2020 SUNYAC Women's Swimming and Diving Championships

Complete Results (all days):
Women
Men

FINAL TEAM SCORES:
1) Geneseo – 1,022
2) Cortland – 677
3) New Paltz – 375
4) Oswego – 354
5) Brockport – 325
6) Oneonta – 323
7) Fredonia – 213
8) Potsdam – 179
9) Buffalo St. – 103