Webster, NY - Senior Mike Rowe (Glenville, NY) and junior Paul Telesca (Liverpool, NY) each earned points in individual events for the Clarkson University Swim team as the Golden Knights kicked off the UNYSCSA Championships Wednesday at the Webster Aquatic Center.

The Golden Knights' men stood in 11th place after nine events, while the women were ranked 13th. Clarkson will compete Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the UNYSCSA Championships.

Rowe was the top performer on Wednesday, finishing in 16th place in the 200 individual medley with a time of 1:59.39. He had started the meet with a 12th place showing in the preliminary run, but a tight grouping in the second heat pushed Rowe down a few spots. Telesca came in 23rd in the 50 freestyle race, sprinting to the finish in 22.38 seconds.

Thanks to Rowe and Telesca, along with a pair of 200 medley relay teams, Clarkson posted 49 points on the first day. Rowe, Chris Plummer (Spencerport, NY), Aaron Kreher (Clarence, NY) and Telesca finished the relay in 1:40.67 to gain 10th place overall, while Stephen Maxwell (Latham, NY), Michael Mahoney (Andover, NY), Sean Parnett (Clifton Park, NY), and Mitchell Maciuba (Clarence, NY) came in 24th.

Clarkson had several top performers who didn't quite make the finals' cut, but still competed well. Freshman Tyler Nichols (Spencerport, NY) was just outside of the top 24 in the 200 individual medley, placing 27th, Joining Nichols and Rowe in the 200 IM were Aaron Cubells (Hamden, CT), who came in 34th, Chris Plummer, who took 37th, and Aaron Parysek (Spencerport, NY), who came in 39th. In the 500 freestyle, freshman Nick Hens (Liverpool, NY) took 38th with a time which was 18 seconds better than his seed time, and Paul Kreppel (Clarence, NY) placed 41st with a run 15 seconds faster than his seed time. In the 50 freestyle, Nick Clemens (Lowville, NY) and Maciuba tied for 32nd, Mike Tarsel (Baldwinsville, NY) was 36th, Kreher finished 37th, Raymond Bailey Galway, NY) came in 44th, and Mahoney placed 55th.

For the women, the top 200 medley relay team picked up points. The Knights' team of Caitlyn Joyce (Walden, NY), Lindsey Borakove (New York, NY), Jaclyn Yeaton (Merrimack, NH) and Jillian Brown (Kenmore, NY) claimed 28 points with a time of 2:02.40. The second Clarkson relay of Kelsey Jones (Kattskill Bay, NY), Anne Hawn (Gouverneur, NY), Kimberly Stillittano (Binghamton, NY), and Deonna Coleman (Derby, NY) finished one spot out of the point-scoring in 25th.

The top individual for Clarkson was freshman Kelly Ludeke (Burnt Hills, NY), who finished in a tie for 31st in the 50 freestyle race. Following Ludeke, Jillian Brown placed 39th, Coleman came in 52nd, Abby Luber (Camillus, NY) came in 58th, Kelsey Jones took 62nd, Alexandra Pesold (Massena, NY) took 63rd, and Lauren Malone (Plattsburgh, NY) placed 67th. In the lengthier freestyle event, Emma Bonan (Queensbury, NY) nearly matched Ludeke's placement by taking 33rd in the 500 freestyle, 17 seconds quicker than her seed time. Kelly Mulvehill (Penfield, NY) was also quicker than usual with a 39th-place finish. Colleen Daly (Manlius, NY) finished 45th, Stillittano took 49th, and Courtney Karszes (Stanley, NY) came in 50th.

Finally, in the 200 individual medley, Borakove took 44th, Joyce plaed 48th, and Hawn finished in 51st.