ITHACA, N.Y. – The 2024 Liberty League Swimming & Diving Championships wrapped up on Saturday inside the Kelsey Partridge Bird Natatorium as the Ithaca College men's team just narrowly missed out on first as a team as they finished behind RIT. The Tigers totaled 1,530.5 team points to once again claim the Liberty League title as the Bombers finished in second with a total of 1,437.5 and in third was RPI who finished with 1,343.
The Bombers had three different swimmers competing in the 1,650-yard freestyle finals that was won by Nicolas Sodi from Skidmore who repeated as Liberty League champion in the event recording a time of 16:18.64. The top IC finisher was
James Kissel who swam a season-best time of 16:23.15 that was good for second, in fourth was
Matthew Stevens (16:29.78) and
Hunter Daur was able to earn himself a seventh-place finish with a time of 16:46.21.
James Collishaw was ultra speedy as he showed out in the final of the 100-yard freestyle as he entered the race as the number one qualifier from the morning prelims. Collishaw didn't disappoint as he put together a time of 44.14, which was just off his team record of 44.09, but was still fast enough to reset pool, association and Liberty League Championship records.
Collishaw was named the Liberty League Swimming & Diving swimmer of the meet after winning a total of three events: 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke as well as contributing to other Bomber relay wins where they were able to reset program records.
The next race was the 200-yard backstroke that saw first year
Evan Wardrop qualify for the evening's "A" final with his morning prelim time of 1:54.91. Wardrop ended up sixth with a time of 1:54.13 as the race was won by RPI's Jason Weller who put together a time of 1:49.03, which was an NCAA B-cut. In the final individual event of the Liberty League Championships, the 200-yard breaststroke was won by Union College's Matt Kenvin who achieved an NCAA B-cut time of 1:59.66, which also reset both Liberty League association and championship records. Finishing in both sixth and seventh place respectively for IC were
Matthew Janssen (2:07.31) and
Joe Pezzini (2:08.02).
Ithaca College was able to achieve an NCAA B-cut time of 3:01.18 in the 400-yard freestyle relay as they finished in second place behind the relay squad of RIT. Teaming up for the Bombers to produce the time of 3:01.18 were
Matthew Mitros,
Alec Kutsner,
Ryan Cooke and
James Collishaw.
The Bombers will continue postseason events with regionally qualified divers first competing in the upcoming NCAA Regional slated to begin March 1-2. This year's NCAA Championships will once again take place in Greensboro, N.C. and they take place March 20-23.
