BEHREND CLAIMS 14TH STRAIGHT AMCC MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIP

Nazareth College raced to the 2020 Allegheny Empire Championships by edging out Hartwick College in the overall standings. The Flyers also took the Empire 8 Crown while Penn State Behrend won the AMCC title.

The Flyers scored 1,482 points in the overall standings. They were followed by Hartwick's 1,374 and Penn State Behrend's 1,251. The Flyers scored 996 in the Empire 8 standings and Penn State Behrend scored 774 points in the AMCC to claim conference championships.

Four different schools claimed titles on Saturday with Hartwick earning a pair of victories. James Conner (Penn State Behrend) won the 1,650 free (16:26.70), Diallo Marshall (Hartwick) took the 100 free (46.33), Andrew Edmister (Alfred University) won the 200 back (1:50.92), and Yury Chernyak (Hartwick) earned the victory in the 200 breast (2:04.72). The Nazareth 400 free relay team won to end the competition.

In the AMCC championship, the Behrend Lions won three of the five events on Saturday, extending their large lead to secure the AMCC Crown. Quinn Fischer was a two-time repeat champion on the night, winning the 100 freestyle and then swimming a leg on the winning 400 freestyle relay. Fischer swam a time of 47.05 in the 100 freestyle for gold and also took 4^th overall. Alex Croll was close behind in second in the AMCC and fifth .overall (47.49). James Connolly not only won first place in the AMCC, he also posted the best time in the entire competition in the 1650 freestyle.

As the top point-getter of any AMCC men's swimmer during this week's conference championship, Penn State Altoona freshman Isaac Swanson took Men's Swimmer of the Year honors. Additionally, being a first-year swimmer within the conference, he also earned Men's Newcomer of the Year recognition. Swanson won the AMCC gold in the 200 Yard Backstroke during Saturday evening's finals, earning a time of 1:54.26 to rank ahead of all other conference swimmers in the championship final. That time set a new Penn State Altoona men's swimming record in the 200 Yard Backstroke, surpassing his own previous record of 1:57.25 that was established on November 23 earlier this season.

Alfred State's Austin Miller was named AMCC Diver of the Year after he won both the 1m and 3m titles for the second straight year. He won the 3m on Wednesday with a score of 421.85 (2nd in overall in the meet) and won the 1m title with a score of 407.00 (3rd overall).

Award Winners:

Allegheny Empire Swimmer of the Meet: John Koch, Jr., Nazareth
Allegheny Empire Diver of the Meet: Sidney Taylor, Jr., Nazareth
Allegheny Empire Coach of the Meet: Scott Whitbeck, Nazareth

Empire 8 Swimmer of the Meet: John Koch, Jr., Nazareth
Empire 8 Diver of the Meet: Sidney Taylor, Jr., Nazareth
Empire 8 Rookie of the Meet: Diallo Marshall, Fr., Hartwick

AMCC Swimmer of the Meet: Isaac Swanson: Penn State Altoona
AMCC Newcomer of the Meet: Isaac Swanson: Penn State Altoona
AMCC Diver of the Meet: Austin Miller: Alfred State
AMCC Coach of the Meet: Mike Smiechowski: Alfred State

Jacob Eshelman: PS Behrend

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