Cortland, New Paltz Swimming Split Dual Meet

Photo Courtesy: Hayley Good

NEW PALTZ – The SUNY New Paltz swimming and diving teams split their dual meet against SUNY Cortland Friday afternoon, with the women coming out on top 125-72 and the men falling 120-85. Cassidy Griger and Ella Graffin each won two individual events to lead the women’s team.

New Paltz Women’s Press Release

The State University of New York at New Paltz women’s swimming team touched first in 10 of 11 events against SUNY Cortland on Friday afternoon at Elting Pool, downing the Red Dragons, 125-72.

New Paltz won all but one event, and it had six different individuals touch first, including a pair of double event winners in juniors Cassidy Griger (Cooperstown, N.Y./Cooperstown Central) and Ella Graffin (Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca). Griger topped the field in the 200 freestyle (2:00.75) and the 500 freestyle (5:18.64), while Graffin reigned supreme both sprint freestyle events: the 50 (25.99) and the 100 (56.63).

New Paltz keeps its dual-meet mark unblemished on the season at 3-0 and next visits Ramapo College on Monday, Jan. 19, at 1 p.m. Cortland drops to 0-5 and next competes at the RPI Invitational tomorrow at 12 p.m.

Beyond Griger and Graffin, freshman Megan Joseph (Hauppauge, N.Y./Hauppauge) won the 200 individual medley (2:17.32), freshman Molly McCulloch (Rome, N.Y./Holland Patent) finished first in the 100 butterfly (1:00.45), junior Casey O’Connor (New Fairfield, Conn./New Fairfield) scored first-place points in the 100 backstroke (1:04.82) and senior Samantha Granan (Hyde Park, N.Y./Franklin D. Roosevelt) posted the top time in the 100 breaststroke (1:09.84), albeit as an exhibition entry.

The Hawks’ 200 medley relay team of McCulloch, Granan, junior Maggie Heaton (New Milford, Conn./New Milford) and Joseph charted the event’s winning time of 1:52.53 to start the meet, while the 200 freestyle relay contingent of Joseph, McCulloch, junior Krista VerMeersch (Newark, N.Y./Newark) and Griger swam the fastest time of 1:41.65 in the competition’s final event, although the foursome did not score any points as an exhibition entry.

Second-place finishes came from sophomore Ann Fici (Hauppauge, N.Y./Hauppauge) in the 1,000 freestyle (11:30.44), VerMeersch in the 50 freestyle (26.43), Granan in the 200 individual medley (2:20.49), Heaton in the 100 butterfly (1:01.11) and senior Kat Buyes (Wappingers Falls, N.Y./John Jay-East Fishkill) in the 100 freestyle (57.82).

New Paltz Men’s Press Release

Despite showing off its depth, the State University of New York at New Paltz men’s swimming team was unable to overcome nine first-place finishes by SUNY Cortland, as the Hawks fell, 120-85, to the Red Dragons on Friday afternoon at Elting Pool.

Junior Will Koenig (Highland, Calif./Redlands East Valley) and freshman Marc Piliero (Peekskill, N.Y./Peekskill) were the Hawks’ lone event winners. Koenig touched first in the 50 freestyle (22.17), while Piliero paced the field in the 200 individual medley (2:08.31).

New Paltz drops to 2-1 in dual meets with the loss and next visits Ramapo College on Monday, Jan. 19, at 1 p.m. Cortland rises to 1-4 with the win and competes at the RPI Invitational tomorrow at 12 p.m.

Second-place finishes for the Hawks came from senior Jack Spader (Larchmont, N.Y./Mamaroneck) in the 1,000 freestyle (10:26.39) and the 500 freestyle (5:03.47), junior Rod Taskindoust (New City, N.Y./Clarkstown North) in the 200 individual medley (2:08.94), junior Ethan Cooke (Middletown, Conn./Middletown) in the 100 butterfly (55.42), Koenig in the 100 freestyle (48.88) and sophomore Vitaut Gurskiy (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.08).

Cortland’s 200 medley relay team of sophomore Dylan Burns, junior Jack Jakubek, senior Brandon McManus and senior Luke Strothenke established an Elting Pool record of 1:37.69, topping the previous facility standard of 1:38.68 set by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 2009.

Cortland Men’s Press Release

Senior Mark Hanifin (Fort Plain) and junior Reeve Callen (Oswego) each won two individual events and Cortland broke a New Paltz pool record in the 200-yard medley relay as the Red Dragons defeated the host Hawks, 120-85, in dual-meet action.

The quartet of sophomore Dylan Burns (Cornwall), junior Jack Jakubek (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury), senior Brandon McManus (Pittsford/Pittsford Mendon) and senior Luke Strothenke (New Paltz) won the 200-yard medley relay in 1:37.69, breaking the previous pool record of 1:38.68 set by Coast Guard Academy in 2009.

Hanifin captured the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:19.13) and 500-yard freestyle (4:59.37), while Callen won the 200-yard freestyle (1:47.08) and 100-yard freestyle (48.51). Burns won the 100-yard backstroke (54.36), Jakubek was the 100-yard breaststroke winner (1:01.96) and senior Alex Spatzer (Buffalo/Kenmore West) took top honors in the 100-yard butterfly (55.17).

Hanifin, Burns, sophomore Jamie Miller (Eden) and Callen finished the meet with a win in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:28.45). In addition, Strothenke was second in both the 50-yard freestyle (22.59) and 100-yard backstroke (55.98), and the Red Dragons swept the 200-yard freestyle as Callen was followed at the wall by Spatzer (1:51.74) and freshman Brian Cremer (Blue Point/Bayport-Blue Point) (1:56.20).

Cortland will compete at the RPI Invitational on Saturday at noon.

Cortland Women’s Press Release

Senior Krista Caputo (Staten Island/Curtis) won one event and finished second in two others to highlight Cortland’s efforts in a 125-72 dual-meet loss at New Paltz.

Caputo won the 1,000-yard freestyle in 11:09.98 and was runner-up in the 200-yard freestyle (2:03.15) and 500-yard freestyle (5:29.22).

Sophomore Amanda Grossman (Schaghticoke/Hoosic Valley) placed second in the 100-yard backstroke (1:05.16) and junior Chloe Freideman (Whitney Point) had the second-best time in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:13.92).

In the meet’s final event, the 200-yard freestyle relay team of freshman Kalee Walden (Dryden), sophomore Emily McGurk (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury), Grossman and junior Chelsey Simon (Oneida) posted the second-fastest time in 1:46.65.

Cortland will compete at the RPI Invitational on Saturday at noon.

Results: Cortland vs. New Paltz

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use