WEBSTER, N.Y. – The Hartwick swimming and diving teams remained in the top three after Day Three of the 2025–26 Empire 8 Swimming & Diving Championships, strengthening their position heading into the final day of competition.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Hartwick opened the evening session with the 200-yard medley relay, looking to set the tone early. The quartet of Keegan Burkhardt (West Hurley, NY), Karim Mohamed (New Hartford, N.Y.), Conor Barry (Clifton Park, NY), and Badr Aly (East Syracuse, NY) delivered a strong fourth-place finish in 1:40.17.
On the women's side, Cassidy Payrot (Cicero, NY), Min-Syun Chen (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.), Aubrey Vaile (Wesley Chapel, Fla.), and Anna Bischoff (Oneonta, N.Y.) earned a bronze medal in the same event. The Hawks touched the wall in 1:50.56, marking their third relay medal in as many attempts. They finished two seconds behind Brockport and six seconds behind a conference record-setting performance by the Knights.
Bryce Rogers (Fulton, N.Y.) continued his standout championship performance, capturing bronze in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:54.94, narrowly missing silver by just one second. On the women's side of the event, Danielle DeCarlo (Whitesboro, N.Y.) and Savannah Evans (Livermore, Calif.) added valuable team points, finishing in 2:21.88 and 2:24.00, respectively.
Hassan Abdelwahed (New Hartford, N.Y.) placed fourth in a highly competitive 100-yard breaststroke, clocking a 57.23. He finished just under three seconds behind a cluster of Knights, with Geneseo claiming another conference record in the event.
In the women's 100-yard breaststroke, Chen delivered a strong performance in one of the tightest races of the night. Places two through five were separated by mere milliseconds, all finishing in the 1:08 range. After a Geneseo swimmer claimed silver in 1:08.08, Nazareth took third (1:08.40) and Brockport placed fourth (1:08.45), with Chen close behind in 1:08.82 to secure additional points for the Hawks.
The men closed the night with a fourth-place finish in the 800-yard freestyle relay. Abdelwahed, Rogers, Barry, and Mahdi Behniaye (Hannibal, Mo.) combined for a time of 7:11.52, helping Hartwick maintain its strong standing in the team race.
The women capped off Day Three with another impressive relay performance, earning silver in the 800-yard freestyle relay. Bischoff, DeCarlo, Kate Gucciardi (Cicero, N.Y.), and Cate Russo (San Pedro, Calif.) finished in 8:00.60 as the Hawks remained in third place overall heading into the final day.
RESULTS
MEN'S SCORES
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Geneseo - 882
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Hartwick - 497
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Brockport - 474
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Alfred - 453
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Nazareth - 168
WOMEN'S SCORES
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Geneseo - 836.5
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Brockport - 523.5
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Hartwick - 433
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Nazareth - 330
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Alfred - 278
UP NEXT FOR THE HAWKS
The Hawks will return for the final day of the Empire 8 Championships at the Webster Aquatic Center tomorrow, preliminary heats begin at 10 a.m. and finals are scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. start.
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.
