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Six Herons earn NYSWCAA academic honors
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Sarah Costanza '06 |
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Lisbeth Engst |
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Kate Feller |
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Julia Brel |
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Adrienne Brockway |
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Suzie Opalka |
February 24, 2004
GENEVA, N.Y.—Six members of the William Smith College swimming and
diving team were named to the New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic
Association All-Academic team this past weekend at the state swimming
and diving meet.
Senior Lisbeth Engst (Christian Brothers Academy/Fabius, N.Y.) earns the honor for the second consecutive season, while sophomores Julia Brel (Simsbury/Simsbury, Conn.), Adrienne Brockway (New Hartford/New Hartford, N.Y.), Sarah Costanza (Gwynedd Mercy/Ambler, Pa.), Kate Feller (Avon/Avon, N.Y.), and Suzie Opalka (Academy of Notre Dame/Hollis, N.H.) each garner the award for the first time.
The lone senior on the team, Engst is the Herons top swimmer in the breaststroke events. She turned in her fastest time of the season of 1:11.83 in the 100-yard breaststroke for second place in a dual meet with Ithaca College. This past weekend Engst grabbed ninth place in the 100 breaststroke and helped the 400 and 200 medley relay teams to sixth and eighth place finishes, respectively.
A freestyle and breaststroke specialist, Brel eclipsed her previous best time in the 500 freestyle race by nearly six seconds this past weekend as well as turning in a season-low time in the 100 freestyle.
Brockway posted a season-best time in the 200 freestyle and a career-low in the 100 freestyle race at the state championships. Swimming every distance from the 50 to the 500 free, she helped the Herons to a fourth-place finish in the 200 free relay at the UCAA Championships earlier in the season.
Costanza, a diver, has had a record-breaking season. She most recently captured the 1-meter diving title at the state championships with a score of 372.00, while her score of 391.00 on the 3-meter board eclipsed her previous record of 390.96. She has exceeded the NCAA qualifying standard three times this season and will find out if she is invited to the NCAA Championship meet on Feb. 27.
A sprinter, Feller captured third place in the 50 freestyle at the state meet, touching the wall in 25.41, a career-best time. She also helped the 200 free relay team turn in a strong third place finish. Over the course of the season, Feller earned three individual victories as well as three wins in on relay teams.
Swimming in the backstroke and freestyle races this season, Opalka earned her best time of the season in the 200 last weekend and turned in a career-best in the preliminaries of the 100 backstroke.
The athletes named to the NYSWCAA All-Academic team must carry a minimum 3.3 grade-point average from the previous two semesters. First-years swimmers are ineligible for consideration.