ONEONTA, N.Y. – The Hartwick Women's swimming and diving team honored their seniors before taking down the Alfred Saxons in an Empire 8 matchup at Moyer Pool on Saturday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Hartwick Hawks celebrated Senior Day in style, honoring graduating seniors Anna Bischoff (Oneonta, N.Y.), Avery Sommo (Slingerlands, N.Y.) and Aubrey Vaile (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) before delivering a dominant performance as part of the program's 50th anniversary season.
Hartwick set the tone early by capturing the 200-yard medley relay, as Cassidy Payrot (Cicero, NY), Min-Syun Chen (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), Hope Valent (Cary, NC) and Vaile touched first with a time of 1:56.64. Cate Russo (San Pedro, Cal.) followed with an emphatic win in the 1000-yard freestyle, clocking in at 11:49.54 and winning by more than 47 seconds, before adding another victory in the 200-yard freestyle (2:05.24). Chen kept the momentum rolling with a first-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:11.44), while Vaile highlighted her Senior Day by blazing to victory in the 50-yard freestyle (25.89). Annabelle Lindsay (Hudson Falls, N.Y.) contributed on the boards, winning the one-meter dive with a score of 215.25.
The Hawks continued to dominate in the second half of the meet, as Bischoff delivered a Senior Day standout performance by winning the 100-yard freestyle in 57.83. Chen completed a sweep of the breaststroke events with a first-place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:36.25), while Russo capped her dominant day by winning the 500-yard freestyle in 5:40.92. Vaile added another victory in the 100-yard butterfly (1:03.81), and Lindsay closed out her day with a win on the three-meter board, posting a score of 231.95. Paige Fagan (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) claimed the final individual event of the meet, taking first in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:07.47.
Hartwick put an exclamation point on the Senior Day celebration by winning the 200-yard freestyle relay, as Vaile, Russo, Bischoff and Kate Gucciardi (Cicero, N.Y.) combined for a winning time of 1:47.01 to cap off a stellar team performance, defeating the Saxons by a final score of 212-80.
Results can be found HERE.
UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS
The Hawks will head to St. Lawrence for a dual meet against the Saints on Saturday, January 24th at 1PM.
About Hartwick College:
Hartwick, often referred to as The Life Balance College, is a private liberal arts and sciences institution in Oneonta, N.Y. Through its distinctive FlightPath approach, Hartwick blends academic excellence, career preparation and an active campus life to help students achieve a balanced and fulfilling college experience. With transparent tuition and a focus on health and wellness, Hartwick prepares students for lifelong success—both professionally and personally.
