SELINSGROVE, PA – For the second time in the last four years, the pool at the Garrett Sports Complex will host the Middle Atlantic Conference Swimming Championships beginning at noon on Friday, February 14 through Sunday, February 16. A total of 13 individual and five relay champions will be crowned in both men’s and women’s competition.

The Susquehanna men (3-7 overall, 2-2 Commonwealth) and women (3-8 overall, 1-4 Commonwealth) will aim to improve on their finish in last year’s conference meet at Widener, when the men took seventh out of eight schools and the women finished eighth out of 11.

Performance lists were released on Wednesday morning with final scratches and heat assignments to be announced late Thursday.

MEN’S PREVIEW

Pacing the Crusader men is junior Jon Illuzzi (Boothwyn, PA/Chichester H.S.), who is ranked 12th in the 200-yard freestyle (1:53.20) as one of four events that he is ranked in the top 20 in the MAC. Illuzzi had the team’s top time in 50, 100 and 200 freestyle during the regular season and claimed nine first-place finishes throughout the year.

In addition to the 200 free, Illuzzi is ranked 16th in the 100 backstroke (59.74), 17th in the 200 backstroke (2:14.47) and 17th in the 100 freestyle (50.81). He finished eighth in the 100 backstroke and 11th in the 200 backstroke at the 2002 MAC championships at Widener.

Freshman Nick Hoover (Langhorne, PA/Notre Dame, NJ H.S.) is listed among the top 20 in three events, as he is 13th in the 200 butterfly (2:12.97), 14th in the 200 backstroke (2:12.36) and 15th in the 100 backstroke (59.29).

Hoover placed among the top 10 performances in program history with his times in the 100 butterfly (5th), 100 backstroke (5th), 200 individual medley (6th), 200 butterfly (6th) and 200 backstroke (8th) during the regular season.

Another freshman, Jon Cates (Fort Washington, PA/Plymouth-Whitemarsh H.S.), is 13th in the 200 breaststroke (2:30.75).

Senior Matt Harris (Sea Cliff, NY/Chaminade H.S.) is ranked 14th in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.18) while fellow senior Jesse Lausch (Ephrata, PA/Ephrata H.S.) checks in at 22nd in the 400 individual medley (4:59.56) and 23rd in the 500 freestyle (5:21.38). Lausch’s time in the 500 freestyle ranks as the eighth-best in program history.

WOMEN’S PREVIEW

The Crusaders are led by senior Katie McKeever (Norristown, PA/Methacton H.S.), who is Susquehanna’s best bet to capture a medal at the championships. She is ranked fourth in the 200 breaststroke (2:33.44) and fifth in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.60), two of the three events (along with the 100 butterfly) in which she holds the school record.

Last season, McKeever finished fifth in the 200 breaststroke and 10th in the 100 breaststroke at the MAC championships.

Also expected to be a factor will be freshman Kelly Chamberlain (Kingston, PA/Wyoming Valley West H.S.), who is ranked eighth in the 200 backstroke (2:20.65), 11th in the 100 backstroke (1:05.28) and 14th in the 200 individual medley (2:21.61).

Chamberlain’s time in the 200 backstroke against Drew was the seventh-best in program history while her performance in the 200 IM at Albright tied her for the fourth-best on the all-time list.

Another newcomer who has excelled this season and will look to qualify for finals is sophomore Janeen Burke (Morristown, NJ/Academy of St. Elizabeth), who is ranked sixth in the 200 backstroke (2:20.21) and eighth in the 100 backstroke (1:04.64).

Burke’s qualifying times rank her among the top 10 in program history – fifth in the 100 backstroke and sixth in the 200 backstroke – while she claimed nine first-place finishes during 2002-03 dual meets.

Several other Crusaders could be a factor at the conference meet. Junior Christina Myers (Fairfield, CT/Fairfield H.S.) is ranked ninth in the 200 backstroke (2:21.33) and 13th in the 100 backstroke (1:06.28). Last season, Myers’ times in both backstroke events were among the top five in program history, and she finished sixth in the 100 back at last year’s MAC meet.

One of the top distance swimmers in program history is senior Ellie McCutcheon (Orwigsburg, PA/Blue Mountain H.S.), who is ranked 17th in the 1650 freestyle with a time of 11:53.23. She holds the second-fastest time in program history set in 2000 at 11:37.73.

Admission to the MAC championships is $3 for adults and $2 for students and seniors per session. An all-day pass is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for students while a meet pass is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $8 for students and is good for all six sessions of the championships.