The AMCC men's swimming and diving teams will take to the starting blocks this week for the AMCC-Empire Swimming and Diving Championship Meet. The AMCC and Empire 8 conferences combined for their first joint championship in February 2020. The event will take place at the Webster Aquatic Center in Webster, NY, with the events kicking off Wednesday evening and concluding Saturday, February 18.
The Alfred State College Pioneers will look to claim their second AMCC title in as many years, as they took home their first AMCC Championship in 2022. The Pioneers hold many of the top times in the AMCC this season, with Westin Perry leading the way with four. Perry has recorded the conference's best times in the 100 Freestyle (46.95), the 200 Freestyle (1:41.80), the 50 Backstroke (23.63), and the 100 Backstroke (50.60). Teammate Avenn Toledo has recorded three top times, including the 500 Freestyle (4:48.46), the 1000 Freestyle (10:04.55), and then 1650 Freestyle (16:36.89). Alfred State's 200 Medley Relay team of Perry, Stuart Yates, Kellen Fletcher, and Luca Aldewereld hold down the conference's best time of 1:32.74.
The Penn State Behrend men enter the 2023 championships hungry, as they finished second amongst AMCC teams last season, a first for the Lions after winning the previous 14 AMCC Swimming & Diving Championships. Sophomore Tim Compton has recorded two top times in the conference this season, incluing the 200 Butterfly (1:53.61) and the 400 Individual Medley (4:18.15). Anthony Tumino and Jacob Eshelman have also picked up conference-best times on the season, including the 200 Backstroke for Tumino (1:56.88) and the 200 Breaststroke for Eshelman (2:08.76). Behrend relay teams also hold down the top times this season in the 200 Freestyle Relay, the 400 Freestyle Relay, and the 800 Freestyle Relay.
Penn State Altoona finished in third place in the AMCC at last year's championship meet. This season, freshman Adam Marawan has swam the fastest time in the AMCC in the 100 Individual Medly, finishing in 56.46. Luke Pletz has recorded multiple top-two times on the season, including the 50 Backstroke (24.35), the 100 Backstroke (52.22), the 200 Backstroke (1:58.45) and the 100 Individual Medley (58.38). The Lions' relay teams have been successful all season, as they have recorded the top two or three times in the conference in each race.
The Pitt-Bradford Panthers finished in fourth place in conference standings a season ago. They enter this year's championship meet led by freshmen Conan and Duncan Young. Conan holds down multiple top-ten times in several events, including the 1000 Freestyle (3rd, 10:17.45), the 1650 Freestyle (3rd, 17:43.12), and the 500 Freestyle (6th, 5:00.34), among others. Duncan also earned a top-five time in the 200 Butterfuly (1:04.15) and was ninth-best in the 200 Backstroke (2:09.53).
Wells College rounds out the field of five teams. The Express' Denzel McKenzie earned the tenth-best time in the conference in the 50 Backstroke with a time of 26.69. The Wells 200 Freestyle Relay team of McKenzie, Qulik Evans, Jude Nash, and Luka Fenton combined to earn the fifth-best time this season, finishing in 2:07.30.