Cazenovia — The Cazenovia College Wildcats claimed their second straight North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship and third title overall while setting a new conference team score record over the course of the three-day event. The Wildcats garnered 730 total points en route to the title, which was the most ever scored by a team in the seven-year history of the conference championship meet.
Cazenovia won 13 of the 20 total championship events, including four out of seven on Sunday to seal the title. The Wildcats also broke numerous championship meet records in the process, including sophomore Briana Hall (Bridgeville, Del.) establishing a new record in the 100-yard IM with a time of 1:03.44 and teammate Nichole Secor (Fairport, N.Y.) breaking her own 1,650-yard freestyle event record set last year (19:52.25) with a time of 19:45.51. The duo also combined with senior Paige Altman (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) and junior Morgan Way (Manlius, N.Y.) to break the 400-yard freestyle relay record by over five seconds after finishing in 3:48.69.
The Wildcats established 12 college and 8 conference records over the course of the three day championship event, and are the new NEAC record holders in the 200 Free, 100 Fly, 500 Free, 100 IM, 1650 Free, 200 Free Relay, 400 Free Relay and the 800 Free Relay.
Wildcats sophomore Nichole Secor earned the NEAC Swimmer of the Year award for the second consecutive season after setting an impressive six NEAC championship records during this year’s meet. A NEAC Swimmer of the Week honoree earlier this season, Secor was selected for the award by the conference coaches.
In addition to Secor, Wildcats head coach Bill Houser claimed NEAC Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year honors after leading the Wildcats to a perfect record against conference opponents this season including a stretch of seven straight wins for Cazenovia. Houser was also named the NEAC Men’s Swimming Co-Coach of the Year, sharing the honor with Well’s College’s Patricia George.
continued — The men’s individual award winners were also announced following the championship event Sunday night. Cazenovia College sophomore Collin Stewart (Lowville, N.Y.) was voted by the conference coaches as the NEAC Swimmer of the Year after an excellent season for the Wildcats. A two-time NEAC Swimmer of the Week honoree, Stewart won four events across the three-day championships. That included winning Sunday’s 100-yard IM, where he established a new conference championship record time of 0:58.47.
This year marks the third consecutive season a Cazenovia College student-athlete has won the conference’s Male Swimmer of the Year honor and the second consecutive Female Swimmer of the Year selection.
