SUNY COBLESKILL WOMEN’S SWIMMING WINS 2004 MVC CHAMPIONSHIP

“The sweetest victory is the one that is unexpected,” Jack Nicklaus, Golf Legend

The SUNY Cobleskill women’s swimming & diving team upset the field at the 2004 Mountain Valley Conference Championships hosted by Delhi Tech in Delhi, NY on Saturday. The underdog Fighting Tigers posted a score of 91 points to better the field and claim their first league crown since the 1999 season.

“I am extremely proud of the women because this was something that we were not expected to be able to do,” said Fighting Tiger Head Coach Mary Irving. “We had a number of people step up and perform and go beyond what they usually do in terms of events and results. We need to build on this momentum heading into the regional championships next weekend in Rochester.”

Freshman Sara Sherman, Schoharie, NY, Schoharie High School, captured All-Conference honors winning the 100 Butterfly in a time of 1:29.73 in addition to placing third in the 50 Freestyle, 30.87 seconds. Joining Sherman as a conference champion was freshman Emily Dickman, East Meridith, NY, who won the league championship on the Three Meter Board with 111.00 points while placing second on the One Meter Board with 97.70 points.

Senior Amber Mortensen, Warren Hills, NJ, Alpha High School, continued to be the workhorse for the Fighting Tigers placing second in the 1000 Freestyle, 14:35.91, second in the 500 Freestyle, 6:57.56, and third in the 200 Individual Medley, 3:00.32. Fellow senior Barb Ridley, Fayetteville, NY, Janesville-Dewitt High School, had an outstanding meet placing fourth in the 100 Breaststroke, 1:36.38, fourth in the backstroke, 1:35.19, and fourth in the 200 Freestyle, 2:56.40.

Cobleskill also received strong efforts from: freshman Venessa Holzmann, Catskill, NY, Catskill High School, who placed third in the 200 Freestyle, 2:48.22, and third in the 100 Freestyle, 1:14.40, freshman Aimee Mingnier, Delhi, NY, Delaware Academy, who placed fifth in the 100 Breaststroke, 1:38.89, and sixth in the 100 Freestyle, 1:18.56, and freshman Shizuka Terada, Shiga, Japan, Moriyama Academy, who was third in the 100 Breastroke, 1:34.89, and the 50 Freestyle, 30.99 seconds.

In the relays the Fighting Tiger 200 Medley Relay of Sarah Sherman, Barb Ridley, Sue Terada and Venessa Holzmann placed second in 2:29.43 and the 200 Freestyle Relay of Amber Mortensen, Sara Sherman, Emilee Dickman and Venessa Holzmann finished third in 2:14.77.

For her team’s efforts Fighting Tiger Head Coach Mary Irving was named the 2004 Mountain Valley Conference Coach-of-the-Year. Irving was also named the 2004 MVC Men’s Coach-of-the-Year as Cobleskill also captured the league’s men’s title.