SYRACUSE, NY - Hartwick senior Ashley Brinkman (Ottawa, OH) claimed state and league titles in 1-meter diving Thursday to lead Hartwick on the first day of competition at the Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association (UNYSCSA) Women's Championships at the Nottingham High School Natatorium in Syracuse. The meet also serves as the Empire 8 Championships.
Brinkman, after scoring 363.50 during the preliminary round to lead the field, finished the finals with a College record score of 404.95, which is also an NCAA Division III qualifying score. The second-place finisher in the event was over 64 points behind the senior standout. It is Brinkman's first state title and fourth straight Empire 8 1-meter championship. She will look for her third conference diving sweep on Saturday in the 3-meter event after accomplishing the feat in 2006 and 2008.
Hartwick's 400 medley relay and 200 free relay 'A' teams each qualified for the finals on the day. Senior Kate Ahrendtsen (New Hartford, NY), and freshmen Abby Wright (Holliston, MA), Stephanie Ha (Everett, WA) and Robyn Smith (Jupiter, FL) finished 4th in the conference and 7th overall in the 400 medley relay with a finals time of 4:04.52. Senior Katie Swanson (Franklin, MA), Smith, and classmates Sam McFarland (Derry, PA) and Kristie Grunert (Oakland, CA) earned a finals time of 1:40.98 to take 5th in the E8 and 8th in the state in the 200 free relay.
Swanson also qualified for the finals individually in the 200 individual medley. She was seeded 8th overall after the preliminary round with a time of 2:12.41. She would finish the finals 5th in the conference and 8th in the state. Ha took 10th in the event and senior Casey Whittaker (Salisbury, MA) was 13th.
After six events, the Hawks are 4th out of seven in the E8 standings and 5th of 16 competing teams in the state with 230 points. Competition continues tomorrow with preliminaries beginning at 10:30 a.m.
Team Standings (After six events): 1. Ithaca (406 points); 2. Stevens (367); 3. Union (315); 4. Nazareth (304); 5. Hartwick (230); 6. Le Moyne (225); 7. RPI (165); 8. RIT (152); 9. St. Lawrence 142; 10. Vassar (110); 10. Alfred (110); 12. Clarkson (91); 13. William Smith (76); 14. Utica (74); 15. Skidmore (65); 16. Cazenovia (64).
