Freshman Nicole Rutkowski (Williamsville/Williamsville North) became the first Buffalo State female diver to win a SUNYAC title, winning the three-meter competition tonight at the Flickinger Aquatic Center at Erie Community College in the first full day of competition of the SUNYAC Championships.

Rutkowski captured the championship with an NCAA provisional qualifying score of 415.55. Freshmen teammates Amanda Dory (Amherst/Sweet Home) and Nicole Gennari (Rockville Centre/South Side) also scored valuable points on the three-meter board. Dory placed second with a score of 368.05, and Gennari finished fifth with 340.35.

Sara Weinert (Byron/Byron-Bergen) posted a seventh place finish for Buffalo State in the 500 free, clocking 5:28.46. Weinert was also a member of the 200 free relay team, with Marie Ryer (Buffalo/Hutch Tech), Kari Pappert (Macedon/Palmyra-Macedon) and Susan Stiner (Niagara Falls/Niagara Falls), that placed sixth with a time of 1:45.21.

For the men, Bret Stodolka (Darien/Alexander) finished seventh in the one-meter diving competition with a total of 349.30. The 200 free relay team of Vince Wasneechak (Fairfax, Va/Lemoore), Dave Papke (Woodlawn/St. Francis), Mike Luther (Blasdell/Frontier) and Derek Stoklosa (W. Seneca/W. Seneca West) touched fifth in 1:31.15.

Through six events on each side, the women are fifth of nine teams with 112 points, and the men are sixth with 85 points. The meet will continue tomorrow with prelims starting at 10 a.m. and the finals slated to commence at 6 p.m.