2007-08 season preview

October 25, 2007

NORTON, MA- With nearly 65 percent of the Wheaton College women's swimming and diving program's records owned by current athletes and over 50 percent of the men's marks occupied by the team's returning corps, it's no coincidence the programs' successes can be attributed to the recruiting efforts of fifth-year head coach Jean-Paul Gowdy, whose first incoming classes graduate in 2008.

Gowdy speaks to the challenge of finding prospective student-athletes who are the right fit. "What I realized in recruiting, especially for swimming where it's a privilege to be on the team but also a grind, is that we need to recruit not only talented athletes but people who are going to fit into our program," said Gowdy. "We look for athletes who are going to buy into our philosophy, are fired up about swimming and are going to stick around for four years."

Five short years ago, conversations regarding All-Americans, national championship qualifiers, conference record holders and event winners, and numerous all-league honorees were just that, but during Gowdy's tenure the Wheaton teams have experienced all of the aforementioned accolades. With several athlete goals met, Gowdy would like to see his teams continue their ascents in the competitive New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) with the hopes of winning their first titles.

Gowdy believes the Lyon women have a legitimate shot at a conference crown this February after breaking the program wins record with a 14-4 mark and matching their highest league finish of fourth last year. "We have a good team with a lot of talent, and if things come together at the end of the year and we perform at a high level at NEWMACs, we should have a great chance," stated Gowdy. "But we could be on the money and so could two or three other teams."

On the men's side, Gowdy expects the freshman-laden team to be in the middle of the NEWMAC pack. The Lyons posted a 5-11 mark last season and took seventh at the conference meet after going 11-3 in 2005-06. "We have two seniors who have been with the program and understand the expectations," added Gowdy. "They're excited about the freshmen because that group has some talent and a lot of energy. I'm sure there will be some bumps along the way with such a young team, but in addition to the talent, what I like most about these guys is the excitement surrounding them."

Second-year diving coach Katy Shoemaker returns to Gowdy's coaching staff with an expanded recruiting role, while Carl Cederquist joins the Lyons as a first-year assistant swim coach. Cederquist brings over 30 years of coaching experience, from beginning level to the Olympic trial level.

Seniors Matt Hurley (Belfast, ME/Belfast Area) and Matt Jordan (Ellsworth, ME/Ellsworth), both of whom earned NEWMAC All-Conference honors in 2005-06, are expected to lead the 10-member men's team. Aspiring to reach the NCAA Championship meet, Jordan has met several provisional cuts during his career, while Hurley returns to the team after a one-year hiatus. Jordan owns four individual school records and is a member of four relay marks, while Hurley's name can be found on seven total records, including four individual events.

Devoid of captains and a junior class, Wheaton's remaining returners are sophomores John Ahern (Boxboro, MA/Acton-Boxboro Regional) and Mike Koltz (Columbia, MD/Boys' Latin School of Maryland). Three of the four returning members find their roots in New England, while three of the six newcomers hail from states outside of the region, as that class alone represents five different states.

Freshmen Sam Dean-Lee (Rocky Hill, CT/Xavier), Zach Fichman-Klein (North Attleboro, MA/North Attleboro) and Eddie Gillie (Haverhill, MA/Saint John's Prep) provide a local flavor, while classmates Corey Best (Brentwood, TN/Ravenwood), Jonathan Gold (West Harrison, NY/Fordham Prep) and Ben Sabol (Saint Petersburg, FL/Shorecrest Prep) join the squad from different areas throughout the east region.

The 26-member women's team is led by senior co-captains Meg Miller (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) and Abby Pratt (Melrose, MA/Melrose). Pratt became the program's first athlete to compete at an NCAA Championship in 2007. In addition to garnering a school-record four NEWMAC All-Conference laurels last season, Pratt has played a hand in eight school marks, including four individual and four relay. Miller, who was also a 2007 all-league honoree, was a member of the same four school-record relay teams as Pratt. Rounding out the senior class are Laura Fleck (Auburn, ME/Hebron Academy) and Tori Hay (Danville, CA/Monte Vista).

The Lyons welcome back four juniors in Mandy Cumings (Zionsville, IN/Zionsville Community), Caitlin Glover (Durham, NH/Berwick Academy), Kelly Grant (South Salem, NY/John Jay) and Casey Shanley (Rumson, NJ/Suffield Academy). Cumings set the program standard in the 200-yard individual medley, while Glover and Shanley are each a member of at least one record-setting relay team.

Seven sophomores make up the Lyons' second-largest class, including four record holders in Sarah Houlihan (West Springfield, MA/West Springfield), Aurelie Marcotte (Hampden, MA/Minnechaug Regional), Iris Meehan (Bar Harbor, ME/Mount Desert Island) and Emily Sweatt (Portland, ME/Deering).

Meehan and Sweatt earned all-league honors as freshmen, as they own school records in each of the three backstroke and breaststroke events, respectively. Meehan is a part of seven school standards, while Sweatt's name can be found on five. Houlihan and Marcotte were members of the program-record-setting 800-yard freestyle relay team. Stephanie Conelias (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire), Maggie Samen (Lexington, MA/Lexington) and Chelsea Stephenson (Cape Elizabeth, ME/Cape Elizabeth) round out the sophomore contingent.

Eleven athletes make up the first-year class, including New England natives Emma Chaiken (Bangor, ME/Bangor), Kathleen Dwyer (Barrington, RI/Barrington), Samantha Farrell (Reading, MA/Reading Memorial), Julia Lynch (Hopkinton, NH/Hopkinton), Stephany Perkins (Monmouth, ME/Monmouth Academy), Dania Piscetta (Belmont, NH/Belmont), Leah Rohner (Portland, ME/Deering), Alisha Wilson (Cumberland, ME/Greely) and Nicole Zais (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury Regional). Classmates Hayley Golden (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) and Sara Hollar (La Crescenta, CA/Flintridge Prep) are the group's out-of-region members.

Wheaton opens its season with a double-dual meet against Gordon College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) on Saturday in Balfour Natatorium. The Lyons' December 8 meet versus Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Smith College is SwimmingWorldMagazine.com's Dual Meet of the Week. The women's conference championship is scheduled for February 22-24 at Wellesley College, while the men will travel to MIT during the weekend of February 29 through March 2 for their league meet.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 10/26/07.
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