Schenectady, NY - Three top-10 finishes from Mike Rowe (Glenville, NY), including a first-place tap in the 100 backstroke, highlighted the Clarkson University Swim teams' showing at the Liberty League Championships held on the campus of Union College this past weekend.

The Golden Knights men's team placed fifth among seven teams with 228 points, trailing Rensselaer (860), Union (812.5), University of Rochester (736), St. Lawrence (427.5) while leading Vassar (193) and Skidmore (188). The Clarkson women's team came in eighth among the eight Liberty League squads with 105 points, behind Rochester (865.5), Union (811.5), Rensselaer (518), St. Lawrence (392), Vassar (367.5), William Smith (289), and Skidmore (206.5).

The top performer of the weekend was Mike Rowe, as he took first in the 200 backstroke in 1:57.73. He also added a fifth-place showing in the 100 backstroke (55.06) and an eighth-place finish in the 500 freestyle (5:00.28). Sophomore Sean Parnett (Clifton Park, NY) gained points in the 200 butterfly with an eight-place finish (2:06.62), but emerged as the only swimmer for the Knights to place in the top 20 in four events overall, adding to his 200 butterfly with a 17th-place finish in the 200 freestyle and 18th-place showings in the 100 butterfly and 500 freestyle.

Sophomore Paul Telesca (Liverpool, NY) also had three top-20 finishes, headlined by an eight-place showing in the 50 freestyle (22.82). He also took 13th in the 100 freestyle (51.48) and was 20th in the 200 freestyle. Three other swimmers for the men's team had two top-20 finishes for the Knights. Senior Kane Streichert (Norwich, NY) gained points in the 100 butterfly by coming in 13th (57.42) and 15th in the 50 freestyle. Senior Brendan Hofler (Glen Gardner, NJ) was 17th in the 200 butterfly and 20th in the 200 individual medley while freshman Chris Plummer (Spencerport, NY) came in 17th in the 100 breaststroke and 18th in the 200 breaststroke.

Six other swimmers each placed in the top 20 in a single event for the men's squad, led by senior Bob Stevens (Lakewood, NY), who came in 16th in the 50 freestyle. Juniors Aaron Cubells (Hamden, CT) and Mitchell Maciuba (Clarence, NY) also had top 20 showings, with Cubells coming in 18th in the 200 backstroke and Maciuba taking 19th in the 100 freestyle. Sophomore Stephen Maxwell (Latham, NY) took 15th in the 100 backstroke, while freshman Liam Sharkey (Malta, NY) took 19th in the 100 backstroke and classmate Barry Pawlowski (Cheektowaga, NY) came in 20th in the 200 breaststroke.

Clarkson's men's relay teams also performed well, with a fourth-place finish in the 200 freestyle relay highlighting the weekend. Stevens, Rowe, Streichert, and Telesca combined to finish the event in 1:32.02. The 200 medley relay team of Rowe, Plummer, Streichert and Telesca came in fifth in 1:42.65, and the 400 freestyle relay team of Stevens, Rowe, Maciuba and Telesca also took fifth in 3:23.14. The 400 medley relay team of Rowe, Plummer, Streichert and Stevens took seventh in 3:51.49.

Each of Clarkson's women's relay squads finished eighth in the four races. In the 200 freestyle relay, Emma Bonan (Queensbury, NY), Kelsey Jones (Kattskill Bay, NY), Nikki Pera (Jamison, PA) and Abby Luber (Camillus, NY) finished in 1:51.62. The 400 medley relay team of Pera, Anne Hawn (Gouverneur, NY), Bonan and Luber finished in 4:36.49, while the same foursome finished the 200 medley relay in 2:06.87. Finally, the 400 freestyle relay team of Bonan, Jones, Pera and Luber touched the timing pad in 4:07.17.

Pera had the best individual performance for the women's team by finishing 15th in the 200 backstroke (2:18.20), and she also came in 18th in the 100 backstroke. Sophomore Colleen Daly (Manlius, NY) matched Pera with a 15th-place showing in the 1650 freestyle (20:06.38). Hawn picked up a point for the Knights by placing 16th in the 200 breaststroke (2:53.24) while Elena Kuo-LeBlanc (Scituat, RI) came in one spot behind Hawn in the same event.