Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Swimming & Diving Teams Head To Patriot League Championships
2/13/2001 7:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving
Feb. 13, 2001
LEWISBURG, PA - Bucknell University's swimming & diving teams will head to Hamilton, New York, to compete in the Patriot League Swimming & Diving Championships later this week at Colgate University. The three-day event begins on Thursday at Colgate's Lineberry Natatorium. Qualifying sessions will begin each morning at 10:30 a.m.,followed by finals and consolations each evening at 6:00 p.m.
Bucknell head coach Jerry Foley, in his third year at the helm of the Bison program, is excited about his teams' chances. "We feel real good about our year so far. Collectively as a program, I think this is our best opportunity to go into the championships and be extremely competitive. Certainly, beating Lehigh was a real highlight and we hope to carry that momentum into Patriots."
Both the men's and women's teams posted impressive dual meet records this season for the Orange and Blue. The men's team went 7-2 during the regular season with Patriot League wins over Lafayette, Colgate and Lehigh. The women posted a 6-3 mark and were also victorious against the Leopards, Red Raiders and Mountain Hawks. The sweep of Lehigh was the programs first since the 1991-92 season, but Coach Foley realizes the team will have to perform at its best to top the Mountain Hawks again at the championships this week.
"I think Army and Lehigh, in that order, are the teams to beat on the men's side. Even though we beat them (Lehigh) in the dual meet, I think it was an upset for us to top them. We were the better team that day, but they have the talent there to get some revenge against us at the championships - but they still have to show it in the pool.
I expect us to perform well though, and make it a very tight three-team race. If either one of those two teams slip, we should be right there to capitalize on that."
On the women's side, Foley sees the event shaping up as one of the most competitive in the 10-year history of the league. "I've been in the league seven years now - four as an assistant at Army and the last three here at Bucknell and I think this year's women's title hunt will be the closest it has ever been. I don't think there will be a clear-cut winner, and I don't think it will be determined until the last few events. I think Army will be the early leader, but I think Navy, ourselves and even Lehigh may have a chance to be in front over the course of the three-day event."
While there have been several outstanding individual performances this year for the Orange and Blue, Foley expects junior Chris Neary (Philadelphia, Pa./Central) to have a legitimate shot to win several races. Neary enters the championships ranked among the school's all-time top-10 in the 50-free (3rd), 100-free (7th) and 100-fly (4th), and also has his named penciled-in on four relay lists. He was named the ECAC Swimmer of the Week after he set Bucknell pool records in the 50-free and 100-fly in the Bison's win over Lehigh.
In addition, Foley expects great leadership from Jeff Sharpe (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) and John Ferriter (Yorktown, Va./Hampton Roads Academy) in the sprints, Kurt McCoy (Trenton, N.J./Hamilton West), Gonzalo Diaz (Miami, Fla./Ransom Everglades) and Adam Yerkes (Orlando, Fla./Winter Park) in the distance events, and Mike Guskey (Lexington, Kent./Tates Creek) and Steve Schwanhausser (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield) in the stroke events.
For the women, Foley expects great things from Darby Golino (Milford, Conn./Our Lady of Academy), Abby Weaver (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) and Molly Lowe (Hamilton Square, N.J./Steinert). Golino, just a sophomore, is already ranked third on the school's all-time performers list in both the 100- and 200-back, and is also third in the 200-IM. Weaver, a junior, is ranked fifth in both the 50- and 100-free, fourth in the 200-free and fifth in the 200-IM. Lowe, a senior tri-captain for the 2001 squad, is 10th in both the 100- and 200-back, second in the 200-fly, sixth in the 100-fly and second in the 200-IM. In addition, she holds the school record in the 400-IM at 4:30.34.
A trio of freshmen, Daniela Faas (Ludwigshafen, Germany/Worcester Academy-Mass.), Krisztina Poda (Bekescsaba, Hungary/Rozsa Ferene) and Meghan Freese (New Freedom, Pa./Susquehannock) have all performed well during the season and could turn in medal performances at the championships.
The men finished third at last year's championships and the women were fourth. Both teams were chosen in those exact spots in the preseason polls put out by the Patriot League, but Coach Foley has higher aspirations.
"If we perform to our abilities and then some, we can be right in the hunt on the final day."
