TROY, N.Y. - The Liberty League announced its weekly women's and men's swimming and diving awards and three Rensselaer Polytechnic Insitute (RPI) student-athletes were honored for their contributions.
Kelsey Manley was named the women's Diver of the Week, while
Tina Belletete garnered the women's Rookie of the Week.
Ben LeRose was named Rookie of the Week on the men's side.
Manley, a senior from Southbury, Conn., was named Diver of the Year for the second straight season at the Liberty League Championships, capturing a first and second place finish at the meet. She won the 1-meter event by a score of 365.85 points and was second off the 3-meter board with a score of 377.30 points. As a team, the Engineers finished second overall in the eight team meet.
This is the second straight Diver of the Week for Manley, who is a graduate of Sacred Heart Academy. She has had a number of solid performances this season, including a three win week in which she was victorious off the 1-meter board in a win over Vassar and then swept both diving events in a narrow loss at Hartwick.
A freshman from Winchendon, Mass., Belletete garnered Rookie of the Meet honors at the Liberty League Championships, finishing top three in all seven events she swam, including three victories. Individually, she won the 500-free in a time of 5:19.54 and set a new school record in the 200-back with a mark of 2:09.86. She also won the 1650-free in a Liberty League record time of 18:02.48, shattering the previous mark by nearly seven seconds.
Belletete, who also finished second in the 100-back and helped three relay teams to a third-place finish, has now garnered Rookie of the Week three times this season. A graduate of Gardner High School, she has recorded 11 first-places finishes through five meets.
LeRose, a freshman out of Williamsburg, Va., earned Rookie of the Year honors at the Liberty League Championships, posting five first place finishes in seven of the events he swam. Individually, he won the 100-fly (53.08) and the 200-fly (2:00.71). He also helped the 200-freestyle (1:28.28), the 400-medley (3:36.78) and the 400-free (3:15.05) relay teams to victory.
This is the fourth weekly honor of the season for the former Lafayette High School standout, who continues to post an outstanding rookie campaign. In addition to his five victories at the conference meet, he has added 12 wins in dual meet action.
Both teams are now idle until January 15th when they return to action against Union with a 6pm dual meet against the Dutchmen/Dutchwomen at Robison Pool.
