Potsdam, NY - Nicole Pera (Jamison, PA), Mike Rowe (Glenville, NY), Bob Stevens (Lakewood, NY), and Paul Telesca (Liverpool, NY) each took first-place prizes for the Clarkson University Swim teams this Friday and Saturday as the Golden Knights swam at the annual North Country Invitational.

The Golden Knights' men came in third among six teams with 397 points, trailing only Oneonta State (450) and Potsdam State (410) while besting Buffalo State (328), Monroe Community College (292) and SUNYIT (95). The Clarkson women finished fifth among six teams with 226 points, falling behind Oneonta State (511.5), Potsdam State (465), Monroe Community College (358), Buffalo State (292.5) and leading SUNYIT (1).

Rowe was the dominant swimmer for Clarkson coupling his first-place finish in the 100 backstroke on Saturday with a pair of second place finishes on Friday in the 500 freestyle and 200 backstroke. On Friday, Telesca won the 50 freestyle as the only male winner on the opening day, but he added to the point total with a pair of sixth-place finishes in the 100 and 200 freestyle races on Saturday. The 100 freestyle event was won by teammate Bob Stevens, who took first in 51.18 seconds to claim all 16 points.

Consistent contributors all weekend were Brendan Hofler (Glen Gardner, NJ), who came in third in the 400 individual medley while also placing fifth in the 500 freestyle and sixth in the 100 butterfly, Kane Streichert (Norwich, NY), who finished in the top 10 in the 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly, and 100 freestyle, and Stephen Maxwell (Latham, NY), who was second in the 100 backstroke and in the top 10 in the 200 backstroke and 200 individual medley as well. Sean Parnett (Clifton Park, NY) also found himself in the top five in three events, including the 200 butterfly, 200 freestyle, and 500 freestyle.

For the women, Nicole Pera came in first in the 200 backstroke in 2:18.20 to take all 16 points, and the senior also came in third in the 200 individual medley on Friday and second in the 100 backstroke on Saturday. Kimberlee Stillittano (Binghamton, NY) finished in the top seven swimmers in three different events, the 500 freestyle, 1650 freestyle and 400 individual medley. Emma Bonan (Queensbury, NY) also finished in the top 10 in three separate events, the 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, and 200 individual medley. Both Colleen Daly (Manlius, NY) and Abby Luber (Camillus, NY) finished among the top 10 in two events at the meet, with Daly finishing sixth in both the 500 freestyle and 1650 freestyle and Luber taking top-10 showings in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle.