Winter Winners

By Patrick Bohn ’05, March 3, 2022
Championships and NCAA berths abound for winter sports teams.
Women's basketball team celebrating

The women's basketball team was all smiles after clinching an NCAA Tournament berth.

(Photo courtesy of IC athletic communications)

The women's basketball team was all smiles after clinching an NCAA Tournament berth.

(Photo courtesy of IC athletic communications)

Women's basketball

Over the past two weeks, several Ithaca College teams and student-athletes have punched their tickets for the NCAA Championships.

The women’s basketball team won the Liberty League Championship with a come-from-behind 70-58 victory over St. Lawrence University last Sunday. Graduate student Grace Cannon was named Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament after averaging 19 PPG over the two contests, including 26 in the championship game.

It was the third straight conference championship for the Bombers, who will host Catholic University at Ben Light Gymnasium Friday, March 4 at 7 p.m.

Women's track and field team in a group photo

The women's track and field team continued their run of dominance, capturing its 14th straight conference crown.

(Photo courtesy of IC athletic communications)

The women's track and field team continued their run of dominance, capturing its 14th straight conference crown.

(Photo courtesy of IC athletic communications)

Women’s track and field

Also capturing a Liberty League Championship was the women’s track and field team. The squad posted a dominant performance, tallying 236.5 points to easily outpace the University of Rochester’s 171. It’s the fourth straight LL title for the program, and its 14th straight conference title overall.

The full list of qualifiers for the NCAA Indoor Championships for both the women’s and men’s squads will be released in the coming week. The Championships will take place on March 11 and 12 in Winston-Salem, N.C.

IC Swimming team celebrating

In addition to winning the conference title, the women's swimming and diving team had five divers qualify for the NCAA Championships.

(Photo courtesy of IC athletic communications)

In addition to winning the conference title, the women's swimming and diving team had five divers qualify for the NCAA Championships.

(Photo courtesy of IC athletic communications)

Women’s swimming and diving

The women’s swimming and diving team won its third straight Liberty League crown, tallying 1,597 points to top second-place RIT’s 1,337. Graduate student Ava Lowell was named the conference’s 2021-22 Diver of the Year after winning both the 1-meter and 3-meter events.

The accolades didn’t stop there for the women’s squad. At the NCAA Diving Regionals, Lowell was one of five Bombers who qualified for the NCAA Championships, slated for March 16-19 in Indianapolis, Ind. Joining Lowell are Rachel Lange ’23, Abby Marraccino ’23, Karalyn Pawcio ’23, and Eliana Wallock ’23.

Four members of the Ithaca College men's swimming team

The men's swimming and diving team qualified a relay team and three individual swimmers for the NCAA Championships.

(Photo courtesy of IC athletic communications)

The men's swimming and diving team qualified a relay team and three individual swimmers for the NCAA Championships.

(Photo courtesy of IC athletic communications)

Men’s swimming and diving

On the men’s side, several members of the squad have qualified for the NCAA Championships following a second-place finish in the conference championships.

Jack Wadsworth ’24 qualified in the 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard backstroke and 400-yard individual medley; graduate student Stanley Zaneski and James Collishaw ’25 will both compete in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyles; and the quartet of Wadsworth, Zaneski, Collishaw and Ben Young ’25 also qualified to compete in the 200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay, 800-yard freestyle relay and the 200-yard medley relay.

Eze Chukwuezi celebrating

Eze Chukwuezi ’22 prevailed in the 184-pound weight class, and will join four teammates at the NCAA Championships.

(Photo courtesy of IC athletic communications)

Eze Chukwuezi ’22 prevailed in the 184-pound weight class, and will join four teammates at the NCAA Championships.

(Photo courtesy of IC athletic communications)

Wrestling

The wrestling squad finished second at the Mideast Regional behind five student-athletes who qualified for the NCAA Championships, slated for March 11 and 12 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Eze Chukwuezi ’22 took home the top spot in the 184-pound weight class with a victory over Daniel Surich of The College Of New Jersey. Four other Bombers finished in second place and qualified for the NCAA Championships: Luis Hernandez ’23 (133), Travis Jones ’23 (141), graduate student Jordan Wallace (197), and graduate student Edwin Rubio (285).