SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) — The Susquehanna University men’s and women’s swimming teams have quite celebration planned for the new millenium — just don’t expect their party to begin until Friday through Sunday, February 18 through the 20, when they host the Middle Atlantic Conference Championships for the first time.
They picked a good year to make their hosting debut as 21st-year head coach Ged Schweikert returns 14 women’s and seven men’s letterwinners — including most of the top swimmers — from last’s season’s teams, which posted their best records since 1990-91. The women went 7-4 in the dual meet season and tied their best finish ever at MAC Championships, placing fifth. The men were an even 5-5, placing sixth in the conference.
Schweikert is hoping with all the returnees, and a good group of talented newcomers for both teams, each team can make the conference championships memorable in ways other than simply hosting the event. The only problem right now is that he has four returning letterwinners either studying abroad or in Washington, D.C., this semester — meaning his teams will not be at full strength when both open their 1999-2000 seasons Friday with a 7 p.m. meet at powerful Dickinson. Both will also swim their home openers on the following day — Saturday, November 20 — hosting Western Maryland in a 2 p.m. meet.
The Crusader swimmers teamed up for a strong fourth-place finish at the recent MAC Relays — a preseason event featuring co-ed relays.
“We have a good nucleus of returning people. We’re going to be hurt at the beginning of the season because of the number of people either overseas or in Washington,” said Schweikert, who is103-92 as women’s head coach, and 85-107 with the men. “We had a real good recruiting year for the guys. For the women, we only picked up six freshmen, but they’re all potentially good swimmers. So yeah, we’re expecting more out of them this season — although I still think we may be a year or two away from where we want to be.”
MEN’S PREVIEW
Multi-talented co-captain Steve Fischer (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood H.S.) will once again lead the men’s team. Fischer was not expected to swim at MACs last season due to sickness, but he went on to break his own school record in the 200-IM with a 2:03.72 to place third in the event (Old Record: 2:05.59, 1998 at MAC Championships). He was also fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke with the team’s season best time of 1:04.25 – third-fastest in school history. He also swam on the fourth-place 200-yard freestyle relay team, which swam a season best time of 1:32.82.
Schweikert believes Fischer is firmly committed this season to contending for an MAC championship, and if healthy – he might just do it.
“I think Steve wants to win a MAC championship – that’s fore-most in his mind. He’s certainly got the tools to do it too,” said Schweikert.
Junior Sam Frank (Northfield, Conn./Litchfield H.S.) is also a tri-captain who finished 10th in both the 200-yard individual medley (2:13.17) and 100-yard breaststroke (1:06.67) at MACs, placing 11th in the 200-yard breast (2:25.56). Schweikert was quite impressed with Frank, who dropped around eight seconds in his 200-IM at MACs last season.
“Sam’s one of the tri-captains and he’s taking that very seriously. He’s been working really hard too and I really expect a lot out of him,” said Schweikert. “He (Frank) and Steve (Fischer) are friends and they really push one another.”
Schweikert also looks for junior Bob Hoff (Abbottstown/Spring Grove H.S.) to also continue his progress. Hoff was dropping time while swimming in freestyle and individual medley events in dual meets last season, but was hindered by not going on the team’s annual training trip to Florida.
Senior J.C. Owens (Mt. Carmel/Mt. Carmel H.S.) rounds out the tri-captains, and was also a member of last season’s MAC All-Academic Men’s Swimming Team. Owens competed during the dual meet season last year, swimming in the freestyle, backstroke and relay events. Unfortunately, he is bothered by nagging shoulder injuries which will limit how much he can swim this season.
Juniors Dave Catanese (Washington, N.J./Warren Hills H.S.) and Mike Kelly (Pittsburgh/Brentwood H.S.) are the two men’s swimmers who are studying away from Susquehanna first semester.
A returning member of the MAC Winter All-Academic Team, Kelly made the MAC meet last season in the 50-yard freestyle. He posted a time of :25.12, but failed to make the top 12 in the event.
Catanese swam on the 200-yard medley relay team, which placed seventh at MACs with a time of 1:50.11. He also swam in the 200-yard backstroke (2:25.18), the 100-yard butterfly (1:02.06) and the 100-yard backstroke (1:07.42), but did not place in the top six.
Among the 10 newcomers, Schweikert labels freshman Kurt Fisher (East Stroudsburg/East Stroudsburg H.S.) as possibly the next coming of graduated 1999 team Most Valuable Swimmer Brett Shank, “only bigger and possibly more versatile.” Shank swam medley, butterfly and freestyle events over his career.
The Crusader coach also compares freshmen Jesse Lausch (Ephrata/Ephrata H.S.) and Greg Von Rump (Mystic, Conn./Robert E. Fitch H.S.) to Shenk as freestylers.
Freshman Lee Clemens (Schnecksville/Parkland H.S.) will be a positive addition in both freestyle and backstroke events, while sophomore transfer Matt Evans (Coopers-burg/Southern Lehigh H.S.) is a solid breaststroker. Freshman Matt Harris (Mineola, N.Y./Chaminade H.S.) also “has great potential” in the breast.
Potential is also a word Schweikert used to describe freshman freestyler/breaststroker Jeff Ehrman (Monroeville, N.J./Woodstown H.S.).
WOMEN’S PREVIEW
Unfortunately for Schweikert, junior tri-captain Charlotte Murray (Hummelstown/Hershey H.S.) is one of the swimmers studying abroad first semester. Murray was second in the conference in the 1650-yard freestyle, setting a new school record with a time of 18:43.80. She would also set a new school record in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:24.98 to place third at MACs. Murray is also an Academic All-American hopeful and is a returning member of the MAC All-Academic Women’s Swimming Team with a nearly perfect cumulative grade point average.
Sophomore Michelle Badorf (Lancaster/Penn Manor H.S.) is another returning standout who just rejoined the team after playing on the women’s soccer team this fall. Badorf was second at MACs and set new school records in both the 200-yard freestyle (2:00.92) and 200-yard backstroke (2:17.71) last season. She also swam the second fastest time in school history (1:03.53, Jenn Elkins, 1995) in the 100-back by swimming the season’s fastest time of 1:03.78, placing her third in the conference.
Badorf also swam the lead leg of the 800-free relay team which clocked a record 8:19.45 (Old Record: 8:31.26, 1989) to place fourth, and was part of the 200-free relay team which placed fourth as well (1:46.78). She also helped the 400-free relay team post a sixth place time of 3:55.78. Schweikert believes Badorf can make a run at qualifying for the NCAA Division III National Championships and an MAC championship before her Susquehanna career is over.
Sophomore Val Bodam (Phoenixville/Phoenixville H.S.) was another one of the top freshmen from last season and Schweikert believes she could be one of the best ever in the breaststroke before her career is complete. Bodam was fifth in the 200-yard individual medley at MACs with a time of 2:23.27, and 10th in the 400-IM with a time of 5:06.85 last season. She also swam the legs on three placewinning relays.
Yet another sophomore, Kristy Truitt (Paxinos/Shamokin H.S.) swam the second leg of the record-setting 800-free relay team, and was part of two other placewinning relays. Individually, she was seventh in the 200-butterfly with the team’s best time of 2:30.63, eighth in the 400-individual medley with a season best time of 5:03.42, and 10th in the 100-butterfly with a team best time 1:08.09.
A fourth sophomore Schweikert is counting on is versatile Christy Shulick (Naugatuck, Conn./Naugatuck H.S.). She swam the third leg on the placewinning 200-yard medley relay team, and also posted a time of 2:30.91 to take 10th in the 200-IM last season at MACs. Shulick also had a time of 1:10.15 in the 100-yard backstroke, but did not place in the top 12.
In addition to Murray, the team’s other two captains are both seniors in Trisha Krusman (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg H.S.) and Amy Matzuk (West Lawn/Wilson H.S.). Krusman swam a 1:20.94 in the 100-yard breaststroke at MACs, but did not place in the top 12. Matzuk, meanwhile, swam a 1:11.59 in the 100-yard butterfly, and a 2:46.09 in the 200-IM, but also did not place in the top 12 at MACs. Both should improve this season while providing quiet leadership for the team.
Like Murray, junior Sarah Hancock (East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford H.S.) is studying abroad this fall. She just missed making the top 12 in the 200-fly at MACs last season, placing 14th with a time of 2:42.06.
Among the newcomers, Schweikert believes recent field hockey star Katie McKeever (Worcester/Methacton H.S.) may be the best all-around athlete, although he’s just started to see what she can do because she recently rejoined the team from her fall sport. He says her high school times are faster than most in the conference and she can swim either freestyle, breaststroke or backstroke events.
Expect a pair of freshmen hailing from Orwigsburg to also make immediate impacts in breaststroker Nicole Kadingo (Orwigsburg/Nativity B.V.M.) and distance free-styler Ellie McCutcheon (Orwigsburg/Blue Mountain H.S.). McCutcheon may not be as fast as Murray in the distance events, but she could be more versatile.
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