FIGHTING TIGER SWIMMING OPENS SEASON WITH THIRD PLACE FINISHES

The SUNY Cobleskill Swimming & Diving program opened the 2005-06 season with a pair of third place finishes at the Donald Macomber Starting Block Classic hosted by the Fighting Tigers at the Bouck Natatorium on Tuesday evening. The Fighting Tiger men posted a team score of 329 points in the event while the women scored 102 points in the contest.

Freshman women’s team member Gabrielle Asay, Greenfield Center, NY, turned in the best individual performance of the meet winning the 200 Individual Medley, 2:30.77, the 100 Butterfly, 1:08.33, and the 100 Backstroke, 1:08.73. Senior Kim Pace, Hopewell Junction, NY, Arlington High School, also had a stellar night for the Fighting Tigers placing fourth in the 100 Backstroke, 1:37.59, fifth in the 100 Freestyle, 1:19.94, and sixth in the 50 Freestyle, 34.54.

On the men’s side senior diver Sam DeBoer, West Winfield, NY, Mount Markham High School, electrified the capacity crowd winning the 1 Meter Dive on his last dive posting a total score of 191.35 points in the event. DeBoer also placed fifth for the Fighting Tiger in the 100 Freestyle in a time of 1:02.17 and fifth in the 50 Freestyle in 26.83 seconds.

Senior Danny Porras, Great Neck, NY, Great Neck High School, turned in an impressive night winning the 100 Butterfly, 1:06.12, placing second in the 200 Freestyle, 2:14.16, and third in the 50 Freestyle, 25.25. Freshman D’arcy Shorthouse, Addison, NY, Addison High School, also was a workhorse for the Fighting Tigers placing second in the 50 Freestyle, 24.83, second in the 100 Freestyle, 56.09, and sixth in the 100 Breaststroke, 1:19.07. Freshman Michael Sidoti, Pine Island, NY, Warwick Valley, debuted with a second place finish in the 100 Backstroke, 1:13.45, and an eighth place finish in the 50 Freestyle, 28.52.

Veterans senior Kiel Wilcox, Cobleskill, NY, Cobleskill-Richmondville High School, and senior Brian Fox, Ballston Lake, NY, Shenendehowa High School, were factors in the scoring for the Fighting Tigers with Wilcox placing seventh in the 100 Freestyle, 1:04.36, ninth in the 50 Freestyle, 28.59, and fourth in the 100 Breaststroke, 1:16.75, and Fox finishing fourth in the 200 Individual Medley, 2:30.05, fifth in the 100 Butterfly, 1:09.32, and fifth in the 100 Breaststroke, 1:18.34.

The Fighting Tiger 200 Freestyle Relay of Sam Deboer, D’arcy Shorthouse, Danny Porras and Mike Sidoti also showed promise by winning the event in a time of 1:43.32.

Cobleskill will next be in action on Saturday November 19th when the team travels to the Jamestown Community College Invitational to be held at the SUNY Cortland Natatorium in Cortland, NY, beginning at 1:00 PM.