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 SAINTS PREPARE TO DIVE INTO 2007-2008 SEASON Oct. 24: The St. Lawrence men’s and women’s swim team’s countdown to their first competition is nearly over as the Saints prepare to welcome rival Clarkson University to the Frank and Lee Augsbury Natatorium on Friday, October 26th. And if there’s one thing Head Coach Bob Clemmer is more than pleased with, it’s been the level of effort and determination he’s seen from his men’s and women’s first year class.
“This class is one of the most talented and certainly the deepest class I’ve had since I began coaching here,” Clemmer, who is now in his 8th year as head coach for the Saints, said. “I’m excited to see what they will bring to the team this season.”
The returning upperclassmen have also set a precedent both in and out of the water early on this season as Clemmer has been impressed with the amount of leadership the group has demonstrated in their first five weeks in the pool.
“There’s visible leadership by example in our upperclassmen,” he said. “We have a few older swimmers who are swimming through challenging physical situations and injuries, but they continue to do the work and then some so they can be productive in their races, and that sets a precedent for our other team members.”
Clemmer had a lot to say about what people should expect from the Saints squad this season.
On the Women’s Side: For the past couple of seasons, the Saints’ sprint core has been its strongest attribute, and this season will be no different, and the discipline and eagerness of the women’s first year class has gotten Clemmer excited for competition. First years of Alden Bush, Megan Derby, and Katy Kozminski will be making waves in sprint freestyle events, while first year Cassie Dudar could be taking a lane in the 200 and 400 IM races as well as some backstroke events. First year Hannah Grimes will be competing in the breaststroke races for the Saints.
As for the upperclassmen, senior captain Kim Watcke will be a familiar face in the sprint events and the 100 and 200 backstroke. Sophomore Abbey Lynch, who had an outstanding first year season for the Saints, will be in a number of events throughout the season, but will be focusing on the sprints throughout most of the year. Junior Ashley Bogosian will also be a big asset in the sprint races, as she will be competing in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle, among other events. Sophomore Emily Baron has returned to the team after a season-ending injury kept her out of the water for the vast majority of the 2006-2007 season and will be a great addition to the Saints lineup this year.
For middle distance events, the Saints will look to sophomore Kate Waters, who, like Lynch, had a great season as a first year, placing in the consolation heat of both the 200 and 500 freestyle races at the NYSWCAA Championships. The East Dorset, VT native will most likely be swimming those events again this season, in addition to some distance races as well. Junior Meg Vaughn will also be adding to the points in both sprint and middle distance races.
In the distance races, senior Angela Lathwell and junior Devan Meserve will be the names to look for as both girls have raced in longer distance races as well as the IMs throughout the past couple of years. Junior Alida Gerritsen will join them in the IM races, but will also be an important part of the Saints’ lineup in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke. Senior Katie Alexander will also be a competitor in the 500, 1000 and 1650 yard freestyle events.
On the Men’s Side: The Saints have continued to improve throughout the last couple of seasons, and Clemmer believes they’ll continue to do so this season. First years Mike McPhillips, Jared Pellerin, and Rob Sibley will be a great addition to the lineup this fall, as McPhillips and Pellerin will most likely be competing in the sprint and middle distance freestyle events, while Sibley will be competing in the 100 and 200 breaststroke races.
Robo Ibler, who placed 3 rd in the UNYSCSA Championships last year, will be the Saints’ leader in the sprint races, and in addition to the first years, will be joined by senior Steve Walano, junior Chris Judge and sophomore Brandon Barone. Sophomore Stephen Dally, who also scored big for the Saints last season at championships, will be competing in the breaststroke and possibly the 200 IM.
Senior co-captain Dave Burnham, juniors Mike Trumbower and Russ Hendrick, and sophomore Matt Kirkpatrick will be the men in the longer distance races, including the 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle, and for Kirkpatrick, the 400 IM. Junior co-captain Matt Feldman will be competing in the 100 and 200 freestyle events, as well as in the backstroke, where he will be joined by senior Geoff Walano.
Clemmer believes assistant coaches Alex de la Peña and Tim Akers will be big reason for a great season this year.
“Alex is a very accomplished swimmer who comes from a similar environment to our own and has the same dedication to coaching that he had while he was a swimmer, while Tim is an invaluable part to the program this season because of his experience with it,” he explains. “Each swimmer and coach on the deck has a passion for seeing this team succeed this year, and that’s what is making this so fun for me.”
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