SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) — Both the Susquehanna University men’s and women’s swimming teams had some positives in their first semester schedules, although both are even more excited about their second semester prospects beginning with their annual training trip in January — this year to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Along with the intensive training and corresponding recreation of the Florida trip, each roster will be bolstered by the return of two letterwinners who studied off-campus during the fall semester.
Under 21st-year head coach Ged Schweikert, the Crusader women will take a 3-2 overall record and 1-1 MAC Commonwealth Conference mark into the semester break. The Crusaders had their three-meet win streak stopped Saturday at home by powerful Albright (75-129). The Susquehanna men will enter the break at 1-4 overall, 0-2 in the conference, after dropping their third-straight Saturday to Albright (78-121).
Both will return to competition on Saturday, January 15, with a 1 p.m. meet at Scranton. The season will culminate with Susquehanna hosting the MAC Championships for the first time in school history from Friday, February 18, through Sunday, February 20.
MEN’S SWIMMING CAPSULE
Senior tri-captain Steve Fischer (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood H.S.) continues to lead the men’s team — finishing first in eight of the nine individual events he swam thus far. He has posted the team’s fastest times in the 100-yard butterfly (:56.54), 200-butterfly (2:10.10), 100-breast (1:05.58), 200-individual medley (2:07.90), and 500-freestyle (5:29.30). He has also swam legs on both the fastest 200-yard medley relay (1:45.73) and 200-free relay (1:37.25). Fischer is the school record-holder in both the 200 (2:05.07, 1998) and 400 (4:37.58, 1997) IM, and had the second fastest time all-time in the 200 (2:07.90) in a winning performance vs. Western Maryland on November 20.
Freshman Luke Peterson (Huntingdon Valley/Lower Moreland H.S.) went from a successful debut season in cross country this fall, to becoming one of the men’s swimming team’s most successful performers in the first semester. Peterson has the squad’s best times thus far in the 50-yard freestyle (:23.83), 100-backstroke (:58.67) and 200-backstroke (2:14.14), also swimming on the fastest 200-medley and 200-freestyle relays. His season best time in the 100-back came in a winning performance last Saturday vs. Albright and is the second fastest in program history (Record: :57.66, Dave Moretz, 1994).
Fellow freshmen Lee Clemens (Schnecksville/Parkland H.S.), Jesse Lausch (Ephrata/Ephrata H.S.) and Greg VonRump (Mystic, Conn./Robert E. Fitch H.S.) have also posted the squad’s fastest times thus far in the 100-free (:52.99), 1,000-free (11:46.42) and 200-free (1:59.76) respectively. Clemens has also been a part of the two fastest 200-yard relays, while Lausch and VonRump swam on the fastest 400-yard freestyle relay (3:39.55).
Junior tri-captain Sam Frank (Northfield, Conn./Litchfield H.S.) has the team’s fastest time in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:29.68) vs. Widener on December 4. Frank has also been a part of the two fastest 200-yard relays.
Juniors Dave Catanese (Washington, N.J./Warren Hills H.S.) and Mike Kelly (Pittsburgh/Brentwood H.S.) are the two men’s swimmers who were studying away from Susquehanna first semester.
WOMEN’S SWIMMING CAPSULE
Sophomore Michelle Badorf (Lancaster/Penn Manor H.S.) and freshman Katie McKeever (Worcester/Methacton H.S.) have led the women’s swimmers thus far — with McKeever recording the program’s lone school record time of the first semester with her winning perormance in the 200-yard breaststroke vs. Widener on December 4. She swam a 2:36.82 (Old Record: 2:37.27, Tammy Shutters, 1996).
In addition to her school record, McKeever has the squad’s fastest times in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:12.74) and 50-freestyle (:26.69), also swimming on the fastest 200-medley (2:01.33) and 200-freestyle (1:50.23) relays. The second-leading scorer on the record-setting Crusader field hockey team last fall, McKeever has three firsts and a second in breaststroke events thus far.
Badorf has the team’s fastest times in the 100-yard freestyle (:58.81), 200-free (2:07.65), 100-backstroke (1:04.96), 200-back (2:19.37), and 200-individual medley (2:21.99). She has also been on the two fastest 200-yard relays. The school record-holder in both the 200-freestyle (2:00.92, 1999) and 200-back (2:15.10, 1999), Badorf’s winning time in the 100-back last Saturday vs. Albright was the sixth-fastest in school history. A member of the women’s soccer team this past fall, Badorf has had four firsts and five seconds individually thus far.
Sophomore Kristy Truitt (Paxinos/Shamokin Area H.S.) has been the team’s best in the butterfly events — posting the fastest times in both the 100 (1:09.12) and 200 (2:33.67). Her time in the 200 came in a winning performance vs. Widener on December 4 and was both her career best and the sixth-fastest in program history (Record: 2:25.48, Tracy Summerfield, 1986). Truitt has also swam on both the fastest 200 and 400 (4:30.80) medley relay teams.
Freshman Ellie McCutcheon (Orwigsburg/Blue Mountain H.S.) has been the leader in the distance freestyle events thus far, recording fastest times in both the 500 (5:50.28) and 1,000 (11:43.11). The 1,000-yard time came vs. Widener on December 4 and was third-fastest in program history (Record: 11:13.98, Charlotte Murray, 1999).
Junior tri-captain Charlotte Murray (Hummelstown/Hershey H.S.) will be returning to the team second semester after studying abroad in the fall. Murray holds all of the team’s school records in distance freestyle events, and was second in the conference in the 1,650 last season while breaking the record (18:43.80). She was also third in the 500 at MACs with another record (5:24.98) time. Murray is also an Academic All-American hopeful with a nearly perfect cumulative grade point average as a biology and German double-major.
Junior Sarah Hancock (E. Hartford, Conn./E. Hartford H.S.) also was abroad in the fall and swims freestyle and butterfly events.
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