Empire 8 Announces 2008 Men's Swimming and Diving All-Conference Team
March 4, 2008
ROCHESTER, NY – Junior Brian Agro of conference champion Alfred University was unanimously named Swimmer of the Meet and senior Quinn Donahoe of Rochester Institute of Technology repeated as Diver of the Meet honors at the 2008 Empire 8 Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship held in conjunction with the Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association Championship.
Agro won three Empire 8 titles and one state championship in leading the Saxons to their second consecutive conference and state titles. He won the Empire 8 and state title in the 100-yard breaststroke in 58.68 seconds, which provisionally qualified him for the NCAA Division III Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships.
Agro captured the conference titles in the 200-yard individual medley in 1:55.92 and the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:11.59. He swam on two Saxons’ relays that won conference titles, including the 400-yard medley relay that the team set an Empire 8 record with a time of 3:28.10 and provisionally qualified for the national meet.
Donahoe won his second consecutive Empire 8 and UNYSCSA title in the one-meter diving event and finished second in the three-meter dive. He captured the one-meter board with a score of 453.25 and placed second to teammate Matt Joseph on the three-meter board with a score of 475.20.
Joe Gage of runner-up Ithaca College and Evan Wilson of first-time participant Stevens Institute of Technology shared Rookie of the Meet honors. Gage won the conference title in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:42.82 and placed second in the 50-yard freestyle in 21.49 seconds. Wilson finished first in the conference in the 1,650-yard freestyle in 16:13.55 and placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:00.47.
Brian Striker repeated as Empire 8 Coach of the Year for leading Alfred to the conference and state titles.
One member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2008 Men’s Swimming and Diving Sportsman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete’s experience in conjunction with an institution’s educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen.
Empire 8 2008 Honors:
Swimmer of the Meet: Brian Agro, Alfred University
Diver of the Meet: Quinn Donahoe, Rochester Institute of Technology
Co-Rookie of the Meet: Joe Gage, Ithaca College
Co-Rookie of the Meet: Evan Wilson, Stevens Institute of Technology
Coach of the Year: Brian Striker, Alfred University
Empire 8 2008 Men's Swimming and Diving All-Conference Release