Schweikert Believes High-Tech Training Will Lower Times,
Expects Improved Results for 1998-99 Crusader Swimmers
SELINSGROVE, (Pa.) — Over his 20 seasons as head coach of the Susquehanna University men’s and women’s swimming teams, Ged Schweikert has seen a lot of training improvements — not to mention lower times.
He is hoping the new, computerized training regimen he is using at practice with his 1998-99 Crusader swimmers will produce the desired effect of faster times across the board this season. The program gives each swimmer their optimum training time (goal) for the distance they are swimming at practice. A professor of psychology, Schweikert has also brought in sports psychologist and fellow faculty member Nora Dula to work on the team’s mental conditioning.
While its still too early to tell how effective these new methods will be over the course of the season, the early returns appear favorable. The Crusaders finished second out of six scored teams at the recent co-ed Middle Atlantic Conference Relays, and each won their opening dual meet at Western Maryland by identical 52-41 scores last Saturday.
Schweikert is optimistic each team can improve upon both its record and standing at the MAC Championships from last season. Both won four of their last five dual meets last season, with the men finishing 4-6 and sixth out of 10 teams last season at MACs, while the women were 5-6 and seventh out of 10 at conference championships.
“We have to stay healthy, particularly on the men’s side because we don’t have a lot of depth, but both teams have a lot of talent. We seem to be in much better shape at this stage of the season because so many of the swimmers were active in preseason conditioning,” said Schweikert. “The biggest thing about this season is how we’re approaching training differently. We’re now much more hi-tech and each swimmer now knows exactly what time they need to make for optimal training.”
MEN’S PREVIEW
Multi-talented junior co-captain Steve Fisher (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood H.S.) will once again lead the men’s team. Fisher is the school record holder in both the 200 and 400-yard individual medley events (2:05.07, 1998; 4:37.58, 1997 respectively), setting the 200 record while finishing fourth at MAC Championships in the event. He was also fourth at MACs in both the 100 (:56.00) and 200-yard butterfly (2:07.91). He also swam legs on Susquehanna’s fourth-place 200-medley (1:45.76) and 400-medley (3:52.11) relays, and was on two other relays.
“Steve’s concentrating more on swimming this season and is seeing the results,” said Schweikert. “He’s a good leader who is really helping us in that (leadership) area.”
Joining Fisher as a co-captain is senior Brett Shank (Carlisle/Carlisle H.S.). A returning member of the MAC All-Academic Swimming Team, Shank was fifth in the 400-yard IM at the MACs with the third fastest time in school history in that event (4:40.01). He also was seventh in the 200-yard freestyle with a season-best time (1:52.58) — the second fastest time in school history in that event. Shank swam the anchor leg on last season’s fourth-place 400-medley relay team (3:52.11), as well as two freestyle relays. Schweikert expects him to be a conference contender in the 200 and 500 freestyle. Shank won both the 500 (5:55.06) and 1,000-yard (11:53.58) freestyle events last Saturday at Western Maryland.
“Brett’s going to swim some more distance this season and is already swimming much better then last year,” said Schweikert. “He’s also a good leader, but in a different kind of way. He knows swimming — inside and out.”
In addition to the two captains, Schweikert is expecting regular productivity from senior backstroker/freestyler Zach Murray (Corning, N.Y./Corning East H.S.), and sophomores Sam Frank (Northfield, Conn./Litchfield H.S.) and Mike Kelly (Pittsburgh/Brentwood H.S.) in the breaststroke and distance freestyle events respectively. Talented freshmen Michael Pfeiffer (York/West York H.S.) and Ben Voelker (Mechanicsburg/Trinity H.S.) should also add considerable scoring punch.
Murray is the team’s top backstroker, posting team best times last season in both the 100 (1:04.63) and 200-yard (2:26.19) events.
Frank, meanwhile, should step into the role as one of the team’s top breast-strokers, winning the 100-yard breast (1:09.71) last Saturday at Western Maryland. He also swam the breaststroke on the team’s winning 400-yard medley relay (4:05.85) at Western Maryland.
Kelly should join with Shank to provide some scoring depth in the distance freestyle events. He swam a leg on all four of the team’s freestyle relays a year ago.
Voelker could already be emerging as the team’s newest star — becoming the only triple-winner in last Saturday’s win by winning both the 50-yard freestyle (:24.08) and 100-yard fly (:58.26) while swimming a leg on the winning medley relay team.
“Ben is potentially an outstanding swimmer and should particularly add depth to the butterfly pool,” said Schweikert.
Pfeiffer should also add depth in the freestyle and IM events, despite only swimming for two years.
WOMEN’S PREVIEW
Sophomore Charlotte Murray (Hummelstown/Hershey H.S.) burst on the scene as a freshman to have the best season of any Crusader swimmer a year ago. She finished third in the conference in the 200 (2:03.59), 500 (5:30.40) and 1,650-yard (18:51.96) freestyle events — setting school records in both the 500 and 1,650 at MACs, as well as the 1,000-free (11:22.35) earlier in the season. While Schweikert anticipates she’ll have another big year, it may have a different look to it as he plans on using her in more of the shorter freestyle events this year.
“Charlotte should get some better competition in the distance events this season from some of our freshmen. We plan to swim her in anywhere from the 50 to 500-yard freestyle, although she still may swim the 1,650 when it comes time for MACs,” he said.
Senior Sarah Wright (Reading Center, N.Y./Watkins Glen H.S.) and junior Amy Matzuk (West Lawn/Wilson H.S.) are the co-captains, although Matzuk is studying abroad in London during the first semester.
Wright is a two-time MAC All-Academic Swimming Team member and swam a leg on Susquehanna’s sixth-place 400-yard medley relay team (4:33.60) at MAC Championships last season. She also qualified for the conference championships in the 200-yard butterfly and 200-yard individual medley, but did not make the top 12. She had the team’s fastest times last season in the 200-fly (2:41.39) and 400-IM (5:35.53).
“Sarah is just a great captain and is providing the kind of leadership I’m sure the freshmen really appreciate,” said Schweikert.
Matzuk qualified for MACs last season in the 200 and 500-yard freestyle and swam a leg on the squad’s sixth-place 800-yard free relay team (8:46.71). Despite being abroad at present, Schweikert expects her to “work her way back into a competitive position in the middle distance events by season’s end.”
While the veterans should lead, Schweikert is expecting big contributions from a talented group of 10 freshmen.
Topping that group will be Kim Allen (Orefield/Parkland H.S.) who will be returning to the squad full-time on Monday after participating on a women’s cross country team which placed 17th out of 40 teams last Saturday at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Championships. Schweikert believes Allen can be competitive in any of the freestyle events and will consistently score in the distance freestyle events.
Scoring in the distance freestyle events is exactly what freshman Anja Santiago (Norwalk, Conn./Norwalk H.S.) did Saturday at Western Maryland — winning both the 500 (6:00.04) and 1,000-yard (12:35 approx.) freestyle events as the team’s lone double-winner. Schweikert believes she is “more of a pure distance freestyler.”
Val Bodam (Phoenixville/Phoenixville H.S.) is the freshman class president and will be one of the team’s leaders this season in the breaststroke events. With the potential to be one of the school’s best in those events, according to her coach, she swam the breast leg on the winning 400-yard medley relay team (4:29.28) last Saturday.
Michelle Badorf (Lancaster/Penn Manor H.S.) is another freshman who swam the lead-off leg on that winning relay. Versatile enough to contribute in the breaststroke, freestyle or IM events, Schweikert believes she will fill some of the void from the graduation of versatile four-year record-setter Jenn Elkins.
Freshman Kristy Truitt (Paxinos/Shamokin H.S.) also fits in that versatile mold and swam the third leg on the winning relay Saturday. She can contribute in the butterfly, freestyle or IM.
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