BUFFALO, N.Y. – Cortland finished in second place out of eight teams in the final team standings at the 2024 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. The four-day event was held at Erie Community College's Burt Flickinger Center.
 
Geneseo won its 16th straight league title with 1,090.5 points. Cortland posted its fifth straight second-place finish with 600 points, outlasting third-place Brockport (565.5). Cortland has placed in the top three in the league 17 times in the last 20 conference championship meets. Rounding out the field were Oswego (357), New Paltz (298), Oneonta (263), Potsdam (188) and Fredonia (129).
 
Leah Bernhardt (Groton) highlighted Cortland's performances on Saturday by setting a school record for the 1,000-yard freestyle as part of her effort in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Her opening 1,000-yard time of 10:37.22 breaks the previous 1,000 freestyle school mark of 10:39.44 set by Krista Caputo in 2013. Bernhardt finished third in the 1,650 race in 17:45.83. Julia Bryce (Rochester/School of the Arts) finished third in the 200-yard butterfly in 2:13.25, and the 400-yard medley relay team of Alayna Miller (Hilton), Bernhardt, Kaila O'Hara (East Islip) and Emily Lantry (Helena/St. Lawrence) finished third in 3:41.80.
 
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.
 
Ella Garrow (Peru) finished fourth in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:29.94), Lantry was fifth in the 200-yard backstroke (2:11.67) and Areiannah Martinez-Reyes (Queens/Benjamin Cardozo) placed fifth in the 200 butterfly (2:15.92, 2:14.11 prelims). Emma Bogdanowicz-Wilson (Schenectady) was sixth in the 200 breaststroke (2:38.39).
 
Madison Heffern (Gilbert, AZ/Gilbert Christian) finished sixth (357.25 points) and Alyssa Haberlack (Long Beach) was eighth (350.15 points, 362.35 points prelims) in 3-meter diving. Caitlin Elsasser (Merrick/Sanford H. Calhoun) was seventh in the 200 butterfly (2:19.49, 2:18.65 prelims) and Madi Monaghan (Chili/Gates Chili) placed eighth in the 200 backstroke (2:20.01, 2:19.39 prelims).
 
Other Red Dragons scoring at the meet included: Angie Gittschau (Camillus/West Genesee) in 10th place in both the 1,650 freestyle (19:07.39) and 200-yard breaststroke (2:41.44); Miller in 10th in the 100-yard freestyle (55.27); Samantha Mattes (St. James/Smithtown East) in 10th in 3-meter diving (313.95 points, 320.85 points prelims); O'Hara in 13th in the 100 freestyle (56.22); Mackenzie Dickman (Montgomery/Valley Central) in 15th in the 200 breaststroke (2:50.43, 2:47.96 prelims); Emily Castagnetti (Staten Island/St. Joseph Hill Academy) in 16th in the 1,650 freestyle (20:22.19); and Anna Stahurski (Oakdale/Connetquot) in 16th in the 200 backstroke (2:32.47, 2:31.03 prelims).
 
2024 SUNYAC Women's Swimming and Diving Championships
 
FINAL TEAM SCORES:

1) Geneseo - 1,090.5
2) Cortland - 600
3) Brockport - 565.5
4) Oswego - 357
5) New Paltz - 298
6) Oneonta - 263
7) Potsdam - 188
8) Fredonia - 129