FIGHTING TIGER SWIMMERS SUCCESSFUL AT 2007 N REGION III/
NORTHEASTERN DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS

Battling severe weather conditions that gripped upstate New York last week, the SUNY Cobleskill swimming & diving program made an impressive showing at the 2007 NJCAA Region III/NJCAA Northeastern District Championships hosted by Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY over the weekend. Despite being forced to miss the early portion of Friday’s competition due to weather related travel restrictions; the Fighting Tiger women posted their best finish in the meet since 1997 placing third with a team score of 184 points while the Cobleskill men notched a sixth place finish with a team score of 105 points.

Individually senior NJCAA All-American Gabrielle Asay, Saratoga Springs, NY, led the way for the Fighting Tiger women placing: second in the 400 Yard Individual Medley, 5:22.42, second in the 200 Yard Butterfly, 2:30.61, and third in the 200 Yard Backstroke, 2:38.11. Cobleskill also received individual scoring efforts from freshman Ashley Richichi, Skaneateles, NY, Skaneateles High School, placed sixth in the 200 Yard Freestyle, 2:27.81, and seventh in the 1650 Yard Freestyle, 24:06.19, and freshman Megan Holstead, Laurens, NY, Laurens High School, who was sixth in the 1650 Yard Freestyle, 23:39.23, and seventh in the 100 Yard Breaststroke, 1:28.12. Freshman Kara Asbury, Letchworth, NY, Letchworth High School, also scored individually placing fourth in the 100 Yard Backstroke, 1:20.50.

In the relays the team of Ashley Richichi, Megan Holstead, Kara Asbury and Gabrielle Asay turned in impressive showings placing second in the 400 Yard Medley Relay in 5:05.19, third in the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay at 2:01.46, fourth in the 200 Yard Medley Relay with a time of 2:20.96 and fourth in the 400 Yard Freestyle Relay in 4:33.32.

On the Cobleskill men’s side senior Matt Hatlee, Cobleskill, NY, Schoharie High School, earned All-NJCAA Northeastern District/All-NJCAA Region III Team status by winning the 100Yard Freestyle with a time of 50.58 seconds. Hatlee also placed fifth for the Fighting Tigers in the 200Yard Freestyle in a time of 1:56.33.

The Fighting Tigers received individual scoring performances from freshman Sam Adamoscheck, Canajoharie, NY Canajoharie High School, who finished eleventh in the 200 Yard Freestyle in 2:26.03 and eleventh in the100 Yard Freestyle with a time of 59.00 seconds and from senior Willie Cool, Canajoharie, NY, Canajoharie High School, who placed eighth in the 1650 Yard Freestyle with a time of 21:41.47. Cobleskill also received a strong performance from freshman Shawn Susice, Carthage, NY, Carthage High School, who placed sixth in the 100 Yard Backstroke in 1:14.24.

In the relays the team of Sam Adamoscheck, Willie Cool, Shawn Susice and Matt Hatlee placed fifth in the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay with a time of 1:41.64, fifth in the 200 Yard Medley Relay in 1:58.74 and sixth in the 400 Yard Individual Medley Relay in a time of 4:35.01.

The Fighting Tigers will next compete at the 2007 NJCAA Swimming & Diving National Championships hosted by Erie Community College in Buffalo, NY from Wednesday March 7th through Saturday March 10th.