Liberty League – Men and Women
- Dates: Wednesday, February 20-Saturday, February 23, 2019
- Location: Ithaca College – Ithaca, NY
- Defending Champion: Rensselaer men; Rensselaer women (results)
- Live Results: Available here
- Live Video (if available): Available here
- Final Results
ITHACA, N.Y. – The Liberty League Swimming and Diving Championships wrapped up Saturday at the Kelsey Patridge Bird Natatorium at Ithaca College with the final 11 events – six for the men and five for the women. The Ithaca College women’s swimming and diving team captured its first Liberty League title, edging Rochester Institute of Technology by just two points in the final standings in one of the most competitive league championships. The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute men’s team captured its fourth straight league title, finishing comfortably ahead of second-place Ithaca.
FINAL TEAM SCORES:
- WOMEN: 1. Ithaca 1254.5; 2. RIT 1252.5; 3. RPI 1218; 4. Vassar 951; 5. Union 920; 6. William Smith 708; 7. St. Lawrence 643; 8. Skidmore 630.5; 9. Clarkson 445.5; 10. Bard 68.
- MEN: 1. RPI 1681; 2. Ithaca 1438; 3. RIT 1170; 4. Union 825; 5. Clarkson 747; 6. Vassar 733; 7. Skidmore 473; 8. St. Lawrence 222; 9. Bard 138.
Ithaca women – courtesy Liberty League
MEET AWARDS:
WOMEN:
- Swimmer of the Year: Kerry Kelly, Union College – captured the 200-IM, 400-IM (NCAA B-cut) and 200-yard butterfly (NCAA B-cut).
- Diver of the Year: Anna Belson, Ithaca College – won both the 3-meter (512.65) and 1-meter (494.45) diving events.
- Rookie of the Year: Jesse Ecklund, Vassar College – finished first in the 500-freestyle, third in the 100-backstroke (NCAA B-cut), first in the 200-backstroke (NCAA B-cut, meet record).
- Coaching Staff of the Year: Rochester Institute of Technology.
MEN:
- Swimmer of the Year: Dio Tzortzis, Bard College – won the 200-IM, 400-IM (NCAA B-cut, meet record), 200-backstroke (meet record); also recorded a 400-IM time trial time of 3:56.56, earning an NCAA B-cut.
- Diver of the Year: Matt Edkins, St. Lawrence University – captured the 3-meter diving event; finished third in the 1-meter event; compiled a meet-high 1071.15 combined score in the two diving events.
- Rookie of the Year: Jonathan Yang, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – finished second in the 200-IM, won the 100-breaststroke, won the 200-breaststroke.
- Coaching Staff of the Year: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Highlights from Saturday championship action:
WOMEN
- Union College senior Emilee Nason captured the 1,650-yard freestyle (mile) in an NCAA B-cut and meet record time of 17:33.53. Nason broke the league mark of 17:37.79 set two years ago.
- RIT junior Alicia Shenal won the 100-yard freestyle in 52.83 after also finishing first in the morning prelims in a meet-best time of 52.31.
- Vassar first-year swimmer Jesse Ecklund turned in one of the top swims of the championship, recording an NCAA B-cut and meet record time of 2:00.82 in the 200-yard backstroke.
- Ecklund finished more than two seconds ahead of RIT senior and previous record-holder Sedera Zbranak (2:03.34), who also earned a B-cut.
- RIT senior Amy Adams completed a sweep of the breaststroke events by winning the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:22.35 in Saturday’s final. Adams recorded the second-fastest qualifying time, but won the final by .13 seconds.
- The RIT 400-yard freestyle relay team consisting of Alicia Shenal, Daylen Smith, Phoebe Huey and Sedera Zbranak, set a meet record in 3:30.16, breaking the previous mark of 3:30.98 set last year by RPI
MEN
- RPI junior Trevor Maxfield, the top-seeded swimmer in the 1,650-yard freestyle (mile), won the event in a meet record and NCAA B-cut time of 16:12.88. Maxfield’s time was nearly two seconds better than the previous meet record of 16:14.59.
- Ithaca College sophomore Stanley Zaneski broke the meet record in the 50-yard freestyle three times on Saturday. In the morning prelims, Zaneski swam 45.63 to break the previous record of 45.86. In the finals, he shaved nearly a half second off his qualifying time, breaking the Ithaca record with a time of 45.15. He then led off the Bomber’s 400-yard freestyle relay with an opening 100-yard time of 45.14.
- Bard College senior Dio Tzortzis won his third event of the championship, swimming to a meet-record time of 1:50.69 (previous record was 1:53.32). Tzortzis recorded the third-best time in the prelims (1:55.03), but shaved more than four seconds off his time in the finals.
- RPI first-year swimmer Jonathan Yang completed a sweep of the breaststroke events, winning the 200-yard breaststroke in a time of 2:05.59.
- St. Lawrence University senior diver Matt Edkins won the 3-meter diving event with a score of 592.95. Edkins won the event by 81.9 points.
- The Ithaca College 400-yard freestyle relay team consisting of Stanley Zaneski, Kellen Scanlan, Dan Meyers and Nate Bartalo, broke the meet record by more than a second, finishing in 3:04.04 (previous time was 3:05.26). All five men’s relay records were broken this season – four by RPI and one by Ithaca.
