BUFFALO, N.Y. – Leah Bernhardt (Groton) won the 500-yard freestyle to highlight Cortland's performances through the opening portion of competition at the 2024 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. Bernhardt won the race in 5:03.34, edging out Geneseo's Abby Funk by less than three tenths of a second.
 
Cortland is in third place out of eight schools in the team standings after the first full day of competition. Geneseo leads with 386.5 points, followed by Brockport with 217.5 and Cortland with 213. Oswego (125), New Paltz (123) and Oneonta (114) are in a tight battle for the fourth through sixth spots, followed by Potsdam (82) and Fredonia (66). Competition continues Friday and Saturday at Erie Community College's Burt Flickinger Center.
 
On Wednesday, Cortland's 800-yard freestyle relay team of Kaila O'Hara (East Islip), Bernhardt, Emily Lantry (Helena/St. Lawrence) and Julia Bryce (Rochester/School of the Arts) finished second in 8:05.97 and the 200-yard medley relay unit of Lantry, Ella Garrow (Peru), Areiannah Martinez-Reyes (Queens/Benjamin Cardozo) and Alayna Miller (Hilton) finished third in 1:49.64. On Thursday, Martinez-Reyes, Rhianna Lynch (New Hartford), Garrow and Miller finished third in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:40.11).
 
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.
 
Miller finished sixth in the 50-yard freestyle (24.82, 24.81 prelims) and Madison Heffern (Gilbert, AZ/Gilbert Christian) placed sixth in 1-meter diving (337.45 pts., 339.85 pts. prelims). Bryce was seventh (2:17.29, 2:16.88 prelims) and Madi Monaghan (Chili/Gates Chili) finished eighth (2:21.57, 2:18.80 prelims) in the 200-yard individual medley.
 
O'Hara won the "B" final of the 500-yard freestyle (5:27.69) and Garrow won the "B" final of the 200-yard IM (2:18.60) to each earn ninth-place finishes. Alyssa Haberlack (Long Beach) was ninth in 1-meter diving (346.75 pts.).
 
Other Red Dragon scorers included Lantry in 10th place (5:27.99) and Angie Gittschau (Camillus/West Genesee) in 11th place (5:29.75) in the 500-yard freestyle and Samantha Mattes (St. James/Smithtown East) in 11th place in 1-meter diving (304.20 pts., 314.50 pts. prelims).

Championship Web Page
 
2024 SUNYAC Women's Swimming and Diving Championships

Team Scores after Day 1 (first full day) (Feb. 22):
 
1) Geneseo – 386.5
2) Brockport – 217.5
3) Cortland - 213
4) Oswego - 125
5) New Paltz - 123
6) Oneonta - 114
7) Potsdam - 82
8) Fredonia - 66