CAZENOVIA, N.Y. – The Gallaudet University men's and women's swimming and diving teams competed in their final conference meets at the site of the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) championships as they traveled to Cazenovia College on Saturday. The Bison men (3-9) defeated Cazenovia, 131-121, and the women (5-10) lost the double dual meet as they fell to College of Saint Elizabeth, 133-128, and Cazenovia, 170-118.

The Bison men came out strong in the 200-yard freestyle as sophomore Maurice Abenchuchan (St. Augustine, Fla.) and freshman Ryan Klock (Puyallup, Wash.) claimed first and second place with times of 2:14.96 and 2:16.44, respectively. Abenchuchan completed the meet with two additional second-place finishes in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:16.38) and 100-yard freestyle (58.81). Klock added two second-place finishes of his own in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:45.27) and the 100-yard butterfly (1:08). Senior DJ Everton-Lovell (Norfolk, Va.) took first place in the 200-yard backstroke as he touched the wall in 2:13.81. The 400-yard freestyle relay team comprised of junior Bernardo Toledo (Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico), senior Larry Kohler Jr. (Union City, Calif.), sophomore Zachary Kohler (Union City, Calif.) and senior Tony Dall (Indianapolis, Ind.) finished first with a time of 4:46.60.

The women's 400-yard freestyle relay team of freshman Molly Verseput (Upland, Calif.), sophomore Brianna Stroud-Williams (Tucker, Ga.), senior Katie Giles (Gaithersburg, Md.) and junior Alexandra Polivanchuk (Orebro, Sweden) finished first overall (4:19.13). Polivanchuk also won the 50-yard freestyle (27.33) and the 100-yard backstroke (1:05.78). Verseput had a strong day as she took first in the 200-yard butterfly (2:42.25) and second in the 200-yard freestyle (2:15.22).

Newcomer Rebecca Lopez (East Setauket, N.Y.) had an impressive debut as the junior took possession of the Gallaudet 1-meter diving record with a score of 221.05 points. The record was previously held by Lauren Starkman, who scored 200.4 points on Feb.17, 2012 at the NEAC championships.

The Bison women's team will travel to Notre Dame of Maryland University on Wednesday, Jan. 22, for a 6 p.m. non-conference meet. After that meet the Bison men's and women's swim program will begin preparations for the NEAC championships that will be held Feb. 14-16 at Cazenovia College.