Hawks Men’s Swimming Secures Second Place

Feb 22, 2017

Freshman Cooper Knapp enjoyed his second NCAA B-cut time of the 2017 SUNYAC Championships and the men’s swimming team at the SUNY New Paltz secured its second-consecutive second place finish in the final day of the Championships, held at Burt Flickinger Athletic Center. Photo: Robin Weinstein

By Ryan Novitsky

BUFFALO – Freshman Cooper Knapp enjoyed his second NCAA B-cut time of the 2017 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championships and the men’s swimming team at the State University of New York at New Paltz secured its second-consecutive second place finish in the final day of the Championships, held at Burt Flickinger Athletic Center on the campus of Erie Community College.

For the second-straight year, the Hawks placed second overall with 527.5 points and trailed SUNY Geneseo as the Knights captured the title with 989 points.

Knapp won the 200 fly finals with a SUNYAC and program record NCAA B-cut time of 1:51.48 to gain 20 points for the Hawks, shattering his own school record set earlier this today in the prelims of 1:52.04. The NCAA B-cut standard in this event is 1:52.89. On Friday night, Knapp also earned a B-cut time in the 100 back finals (50.37).

The Hawks placed second in the 400 free relay final with a mark of 3:06.27, thanks to the performances by senior Jeffrey Pietkiewicz, Knapp, junior Barrett Celecki and junior Caleb Treadwell, earning 34 points.

Pietkiewicz placed third in the 100 free, touching the wall in 46.32, earning 16 points in the process. Treadwell placed fifth (47.12). Pietkiewicz also enjoyed a third-place finish in the 100 free, clocking a mark of 46.32 in the finals for 16 points.

Celecki enjoyed a fourth-place finish in the 1650 free with a reading of 16:42.26, garnering 15 points for New Paltz.

In the 200 back, junior Matthew Kessler placed sixth with a time of 1:57.77, followed by junior Marc Piliero in eighth (1:59.38), as the duo earned 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Placing eighth in the 200 breast was senior co-captain Matt Alfultis, who turned in a time of 2:12.49, good for 11 points.

Final Team Standings (Through Saturday): 1. Geneseo (989 points), 2. New Paltz (527.5 points), 3. Fredonia (425 points), 4. Cortland (414 points), 5. Oswego (319 points), 6.

Buffalo State (281 points), 7. Oneonta (264.5 points), 8.Brockport (255 points), 9. Potsdam (102 points).