2019-20 Swimming & Diving Season in Review: One for the Record Books

4/2/2020 11:30:00 AM | Swimming and Diving

By: Zach Monell

The University at Buffalo women's swimming and diving team had a historic 2019-20 season. The season was filled with individual accolades, Mid-American Conference Championship podium finishes, as well as program-record times. The Bulls charged at the all-time records list as they set six new top-times. The team finished the season with 31 times in the program's top-10 list. This season made a splash in program history as perhaps the most successful season.

After an impressive 2019 signing class, transfer students and finishing in third place at last year's MAC Championships, the team carried that momentum into the 2019-20 campaign. The team finished with a 5-2 overall record, including a 4-1 record in MAC play. Through head coach Andy Bashor's 14-year career at the helm, this marked the 12^th season where the program has achieved at least five wins. From a conference play standpoint, this marked just the fourth time in program history that the team earned four MAC wins dating back to the 1998-99 season. The Bulls also knew the meaning of "home field" advantage as they finished the regular season with a 4-0 record at the Alumni Arena Natatorium.

The team trended in the right direction as their top season times occurred during the most crucial part of the campaign, the MAC Championships. The team finished in second place with a total of 738.5 points. This marked the program's best finish including their highest score at the MAC Championships by scoring 165 more points than their previous best which occurred at the 2017 championships (573.5 points). The squad medaled in 15 of the 20 events for a total of 31 individual medals.

The team earned nine All-MAC members, the most in program history. Sophomores Antonia Naccarella and Katie Pollock earned First Team All-MAC honors along with Brittney Beetcher, Olivia Sapio and Nicole Roitenberg. Katelyn Burns, Andrea Ernst, Victoria Franz and Jillian Lawton earned Second Team All-MAC honors. The accolades didn't stop there as Victoria Franz also received MAC Freshman Diver of the Year honors. For the fourth time in his career, head coach Andy Bashor claimed MAC Coach of the Year. He previously won this honor in 2009, 2010 and 2011 as the men's swimming and diving head coach.

Divers Patricia Arceri, Victoria Franz and Journi Northorp qualified for the NCAA Diving Zone A Championships held at West Virginia University. Northorp advanced to the finals in the 1-meter dive as she finished sixth out of 62 divers with a cumulative score of 533.00.

Like the pool, the team also succeeded in the classroom. For the third consecutive year, the team had at least 10 student-athletes earn Academic All-MAC honors. Juniors Brittney Beetcher and Nicole Roitenberg led the way as they finished the fall 2019 semester with a 4.0 GPA. Patricia Arceri, Grace Baumer, Katelyn Burns, Isobel Holcomb, Jillian Lawton, Antonia Naccarella, Olivia Sapio and Sydnie Sovinsky also made the list.

"This season has been special and I owe it all to the ladies on this team and the coaches," stated head coach Andy Bashor. "We knew going into the season that we would be good, but to come out and finish in second was unbelievable."

2020 MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE MEDALISTS
GOLD

Brittney Beetcher – 400 IM
Antonia Naccarella – 50 Freestyle

SILVER

Brittney Beetcher – 800 Freestyle Relay, 500 Freestyle, 1650 Freestyle
Katelyn Burns – 200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay, 400 Freestyle Relay
Andrea Ernst – 200 Medley Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay, 400 Medley Relay, 400 Freestyle Relay
Victoria Franz – 1-Meter Dive
Jenna Krull – 800 Freestyle Relay
Jillian Lawton – 200 Medley Relay, 50 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle Relay, 400 Freestyle Relay
Antonia Naccarella – 800 Freestyle Relay, 200 Freestyle Relay, 400 Medley Relay, 400 Freestyle Relay
Katie Pollock – 200 Medley Relay, 100 Breaststroke, 400 Medley Relay
Nicole Roitenberg – 800 Freestyle Relay, 400 Medley Relay
Olivia Sapio – 400 IM