WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. --- The Lycoming College men’s and women’s swimming teams have once again established themselves as a force in the Middle Atlantic Conference. The men’s and women’s teams finished fourth and third, respectively, at last year’s MAC Championship meet and hope to better their successes for the 2009-10 season.
Although the team graduated many talented swimmers, head coach Jerry Hammaker says, “We are excited about our incoming swimmers and hope they will make an immediate impact.” The returning swimmers as well as the incoming talent will have to work hard to maintain last year’s successes.
Lycoming opens both the overall season and the Middle Atlantic schedule on Saturday, Oct. 31, when it hosts Albright College.
This year’s mid-season event will be the new Swarthmore Invitational, where the team will get to see competition they have not seen before. Leading the final push to the MAC Championship meet in February will be the team’s training trip to Paradise Island in the Bahamas.
Here is a look at the swimmers expected to have a big impact for the College this season.
The Warriors held a winning record last season and although the loss of three top butterflyers, Sean Berrier, Brandon Good and Brian Fausal, will not go unnoticed, the team hopes to keep the winning tradition alive.
Senior captain John Dougherty, a school record holder in the 200 freestyle, is expected to excel in the mid-distance freestyle events. Following Dougherty are sophomore Myles Biggs and junior Joseph Kuder, who take on the burden of the distance freestyle events. Biggs will also be looked to add depth in the breaststroke events.
Leading the breaststroke events will be sophomore Joseph Andrie. He is the returning record holder for both breastroke events and will also be utilized in the individual medley events.
Hoping to fill the butterfly gap will be junior Chad Lemmons, who shows great promise for this season. Junior Trevor Silbernagel will be evening out the roster by continuing to excel in the backstroke events.
The Lady Warriors also look to continue the tradition of a winning season but have suffered the loss of two MAC champions, Milvana Ban and Nichole Zoller, as well as top butterflyer Jessie Gallagher.
Leading the Lady Warrior initiative will be senior captain Caroline LeHota. A backstroke runner-up at MACs, she will also lend her talents to the sprint freestyle events. LeHota will be joined by fellow captains, junior Stacy Flick and senior Tess Duffin. Flick, a national qualifier and school record holder in the breaststroke, is expected to have another excellent season. Duffin, who swims butterfly and sprint freestyle, offers leadership vital to the team’s success.
Sophomore Claire Zido and junior Meg Emery will continue to have solid holds on the distance freestyle events to round out the Lady Warrior roster.
Although both the men’s and women’s teams graduated great talent, it is safe to expect another winning season for both squads. Under the guidance of 10th year head coach Jerry Hammaker, Lycoming swimming will continue to be a powerhouse in the MAC.
