Buffalo, N.Y. – The Geneseo women’s swimming & diving team wrapped up the first of three days of competition at the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Championships in first place. The Knights, who have won five consecutive SUNYAC titles, have scored 227 points through six events, holding a 26-point lead over second-place Cortland.

The Knights won two events Thursday, including an NCAA qualifying performance.

Sophomore Abby Max (New Hartford/New Hartford) highlighted the day, winning her second straight SUNYAC title in the 500-yard freestyle. Her time of 4:58.11 set a meet record and was an NCAA “B” cut. Junior Corrine Vairo (Poquott/Ward Melville) placed sixth in 5:12.09. Sophomore Kristen Bormann (Farmingdale/Half Hollow Hills East) and junior Erin O’Brien (Lansing/Lansing) finished 10th and 15th with respective times of 5:17.89 (ninth) and 5:25.55 (15th).

Geneseo’s other win came in the 400-yard medley (the Knights were the defending meet champion in that event). The team of sophomore Haleigh Wixson (Montour Falls/Watkins Glen), senior Kaitlin Wilcoxen (Manlius/Fayetteville-Manlius), junior Lily Powell (Selkirk/Bethlehem) and Abby Max set a SUNYAC record by finishing in 3:51.14.

Three Knights qualified for the finals in the 200-yard individual medley. Wilcoxen placed second in 2:09.82 with junior Lauren Boyce (New Hartford/New Hartford) third in 2:10.75 and sophomore Eileen Goralski (Queensbury/Queensbury) sixth in 2:11.36. Half the field in the consolation final was from Geneseo: Powell was ninth in 2:12.76; first year Betsy Erickson (Elma/Iroquois) finished 11th in 2:13.49; first year Jenna Gibbons (Staten Island/Staten Island Tech) placed 14th in 2:14.88; and junior Molly Carney (Chenango Forks/Chenango Forks) was 16th in 2:20.03.

Wixson and senior Elyssa Max (New Hartford/New Hartford) represent the Knights in the 50-yard freestyle final with Wixson placing third in 24.15 and Max finishing eighth in 24.93. First year Julie Holloway (Pittsford/Rush-Henrietta) posted a time of 25.22 (good for 13th) in the consolation final.

The 200-yard freestyle quartet of Wilcoxen, Powell, Boyce and Erickson finished second in 1:36.54.

Junior Emily Wanamaker (Camillus/Christian Brothers Academy) placed sixth in the 3-meter diving with a score of 402.95.

Competition continues Friday and Saturday at the SUNYAC Championships.