BUFFALO — The Jamestown Community College women’s swim team moved closer to third consecutive National Junior College Athletic Association Swimming & Diving National Championship on Thursday at Erie Community College’s Burt Flickinger Aquatic Center.
On the back of two All-American finishes from Madison Kramer (Falconer/Frewsburg CS) in the 100-yard butterfly and the 50-yard backstroke, the Jayhawks moved into first place with 115 points. Trailing is Monroe Community College with 114 points and Genesee Community College with 100.
“Madi did a nice job for us tonight to help set the pace for what we did,” Jayhawks head coach Todd Conklin said. “She has a long history of swimming and she has a couple big events left. We’re looking to see her continue what she does and I expect to see some big swims out of her.”
Kramer swam for school records, setting a mark of 1:00.96 in the 100-yard butterfly and a time of 28.23 in the 50-yard backstroke to earn eight place in both events.
Jenna Fieberger (Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa/Fourways HS) finished 12th in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:08.40.
Then in the relays the girls picked up a seventh- and sixth-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard medley relay, respectively.
The quartet of Kramer, Hannah Eckert (Frewsburg/Frewsburg CS), Fieberger and Stacey Blackler (Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa/Edenvale HS) swam for a time of 1:47.30 in the freestyle and then the team of Kramer, Lindsey Spitz (Jamestown/Jamestown HS), Fieberger and Eckert swam a time of 4:23.24 in the medley for a new school record.
“Obviously, it was a tough grueling day,” Conklin added. “We fought through a lot of things and I’m really proud of the effort. In the last relay they really gutted it out, I’m hoping that fight and momentum can carry into tomorrow.”
MEN
The Jamestown CC men saw improvement from the first day, turning in a seventh- and eighth-place finish in the relays.
First the team of Steven Zentz (Dunkirk/Dunkirk HS), Joseph Keyser (Mayville/Chautauqua Lake CS), Maxim Johnson (Johannesburg, South Africa/King Edwards VII School) and Josh Carr (Wigan, England/Standish Community HS) took seventh in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:37.94 and then the same group earned eighth in the 400-yard medley relay with a time of 4:10.33.
Individually, Keyser earned 17th in the 50-yard backstroke at 28.51 for a new school record. Then Johnson placed 14th in the 100-yard butterfly with a new school record time of 51.74 and then he set a school and Region 3 record in the 50-yard butterfly at 23.60.
Currently, the men sit in third place with a score of 49 points and Monroe Community College leads at 109.
“We’ve had a lot of ups and downs,” Conklin said about both teams. “We haven’t had a great day and we’re looking for that day to come.”
WRESTLING
JAMESTOWN — It will be another trip out west for the Jamestown Community College wrestling team as six members will be competing in the 2023 NJCAA Wrestling National Championships held at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
All six Jayhawks going into the weekend are seeded in the tournament with Brendon Ramsey (Panama/Panama CS) receiving the highest seed at No. 8.
“It’s nice to get the recognition for the guys who are seeded but at the end of the day, we have to go out there and execute,” said head coach Kris Schimek. “We’ve only seen about three or four NJCAA teams this year out of the 60 teams that will be there. You don’t know what other guys do outside of what you see on film and the same goes to our competitors.”
Of the six wrestlers making the trip, four will be making their return to the big stage. Along with Ramsey, Alex Christy (Fredonia/Fredonia CS), Brock Johnson (Falconer, N.Y./Falconer CS) and James Rankin (Cleveland/Cleveland Heights HS) will all get one last chance to crack the top eight and fight for a national championship.
“I’m expecting a little more maturity from our guys going back to nationals,” Schimek said. “They’ve experienced the bright lights last year and now I believe that they can operate a little more comfortably. There’s less anxiety going into these matches for them.”
The two wrestlers that will be making their first national championship appearances will be De’Aonte Hutchinson (Baltimore/Edgewood HS) and Luke Potts (Pittsburgh/West Allegheny HS).
“The message I have for the guys going for their first time is to soak it all in,” said Schimek. “Enjoy everything once we get their but they have to know that the job is not done yet. Take it one period at a time, one match at a time.”
Ramsey, who won the Northeast District Championship at 133 pounds, will get a bye in the first round and will face the winner of Tuvish Zunnbayan of Harper College or Gabe Fielder of Mott Community College.
Potts received the 14th seed in the 141-pound weight class and will face Jake Thompson of Rochester Community and Technical College.
Johnson also received the 14th seed in the 197 pounds and will face Christian Slack of Snow College.
Hutchinson drew the 16th seed at 125 pounds and will go against Brady Foster of Cloud County Community College.
Rankin also drew the 16th seed at 149 pounds and will square up against David Capron of Triton College.
Rounding out the Jayhawk grapplers will be Christy, who was awarded the 16th seed at 184 pounds, and will face Rotimi Anmashaun of Camden County Community College.
Source: Observer Today
