For Immediate Release: February 14, 2008
Contact: Anthony G. Naglieri (sports@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-2956

Strong diving efforts highlight the Bearcats' day one performance at the America East Swimming and Diving Championships

Day One Results
Championship Schedule

ORONO, ME -- The Binghamton men's swimming and diving teams is in third place and the women's team is fourth after the first day of competition at the 2008 America East Conference Championships at the University of Maine's Wallace Pool.

In a very competitive men's diving field, featuring four NCAA Zone Championship qualifiers, junior Ryan Graham (Vestal, N.Y.) and senior Matt Russo (Manhattan, N.Y.) were both finalists. Graham finished third with 266.95 points, while Russo claimed the seventh spot with 215.40 points.

Sophomore Bob Nolte (Schenectady, N.Y.) also scored points for the 'Cats, finishing in 10th place.

The men's 800-free relay team touched in second place behind UMBC. The Bearcat quartet of freshman Jason Chen (Livingston, N.J.), and juniors Brenno Varanda (St. Petersburg, Fla.), Sean Lorenz (Norwich, N.Y.), and Brian Koralewski (Floral Park, N.Y.) clocked in with an ECAC-qualifying time of 6:52.48.

The men sit in third place in the four-team field and have a total of 99 points, just 19 points behind meet-leading Boston University (118).

"We were really solid in both the men's and women's diving events," head coach Sean Clark said. "Overall, the men got off to a bit of a tough start, but I expect we will regroup and get to where we expect to be."

On the women's side, junior divers Kristin Maney (New Paltz, N.Y.) and Kate Hassfurter (Horseheads, N.Y.) placed sixth and seventh with 211.10 and 210.80 points, respectively, in the three-meter event.

Freshman Elizabeth Esposito (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and junior Melanie Gelfand (Syosset, N.Y.) also scored points for the Bearcats, finishing in 13th and 14th place, respectively.

The team of sophomore Taryn Ferrara (Morristown, N.J.) and freshmen Brittany Detlef (Rochester, N.Y.), Danielle Gallo (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.), and Lyndsi Worthington (Leawood, Kan.) posted an ECAC-qualifying time of 1:50.15 and finished three tenths of a second out of the fourth spot in sixth place in the 200-medley relay.

The Boston University women are in first with 125 points followed by New Hampshire with 100, UMBC with 84, and the Bearcats just two points behind the Retrievers with 82.

"It was a pretty good start, especially for our women," head swim coach Sean Clark said. "They are really swimming well right now and I am really looking forward to the next three days to see what they can do."

The four-day America East Championships continue Friday with the men’s and women’s 500-free, 200-IM, 50-free, 200-free relay and the men’s 3-meter diving. The morning preliminary session begins at 10 a.m., while finals begin at 6 p.m.

Women's Team Rankings
1. Boston University	125
2. New Hampshire	100
3. UMBC	84
4. Binghamton	82
5. Maine	73
6. Vermont	69
7. Stony Brook	50
Men's Team Rankings
1. Boston University	118
2. UMBC	103
3. Binghamton	99
4. Stony Brook	84