10/8/2009 10:03:26 PM
CENTER VALLEY, PA (10/8/09) – Back-to-back Patriot League champion Colgate has once again been chosen as the preseason favorite in women’s swimming and diving, it was recently announced by the league office.
The Raiders, who finished the 2008-09 campaign with an unblemished 10-0 record, received 14 of 16 first place votes to capture the preseason top spot in the Patriot League as voted on by league head coaches and sports information contacts. Colgate amassed 98 points in the voting, while Navy finished second with 86 votes and the other remaining first place votes. Bucknell rounded out the top three with 74.
“A unanimous vote to repeat as Patriot League Champions is humbling,” said Colgate head coach Stephen Jungbluth, the reigning Patriot League Coach of the Year. “That's a big weight on our shoulders. We have our work cut out for us due to significant losses to graduation. Last year's team had superstars that were proven time and again over their four-year career in clutch situations. It will be interesting to see who can step into that role this season to produce wins and perform well on a consistent basis.
“Last year at this time, I said with 100% confidence that we would flat-out win,” continued the coach. “Right now, there are too many question marks. This team will have to come together and perform at a high level in order to compete for a title.”
Colgate posted wins in 14 of 18 events last season en route to registering its second ever team title by 102.5 points over second placed Navy. The Raiders won the title with 862 points, just three shy of the all-time event record. Colgate set school records in every event with exception of the two diving events; broke 14 league and meet marks, as well as eclipsed 11 Bucknell pool standards.
Caren Guyett (Syracuse, N.Y.) returns as the defending league champion in the 400 IM (4:15.63) and 200 fly (2:01.31), while Erin McGraw (Penfield, N.Y.) will be in search of defending her 100 fly (54.08) and 200 back (1:58.67) individual crowns.
The Raiders return five first team all-Patriot League honorees in Guyett, McGraw, Emily Kelly (Potomac, Md.), Erica Derlath (Garden City, N.Y.) and Caitlin Curran (Alpharetta, Ga.). In addition, Jungbluth’s squad has all four returning second team honorees in Emily Peck (Brooktondale, N.Y.), Courtney Callahan (Tarrytown, N.Y.), Jenna Daly (Garden City, N.Y.) and Sarah Button (Mendham, N.J.).
Colgate’s men, which finished fifth in last year’s event, collected 57 points and edged Lehigh for fourth place overall. Navy, which has won six straight league titles, collected 14 first place votes and 98 points, while Army and Bucknell tied for second with 79.
“A fourth place finish would be a great year for the men,” said Jungbluth. “They are doing as well as they ever have; our relays are as strong as ever, and we have a couple hard-working divers. The attitude is definitely present, and we have some added punch from the freshmen class. If our guys stay healthy, and just as importantly, stay focused, I think we can pull that off. “
The Raiders return both of their all-league performers in Tucker Gniewek (New Canaan, Conn.) and Devon Healy (New Canaan, Conn.). The junior established new Colgate school records in the 50 free (20.35), 100 free (46.20), and 100 back (41.15) en route to top five finishes in all three events. Gniewek was also a member of the Raiders’ 400 free relay that placed second overall, which was the best showing by Colgate in that event in many years.
Healy was a second team all-league performer after posting two top 10 efforts in the 400 IM (3:57.80) and 1650 free. His time in the IM broke a school record. Healy also is the school record holder in the 200 IM (1:53.14) as well.
The Raiders also have back two other school record holders in sophomores Costas Hadjipateras (New Canaan, Conn.) and Pat White (Stamford, Conn.). As freshmen in 2008-09, Hadjipateras established the school mark in the 200 fly (1:51.24), while White erased the mark in the 200 free (1:40.56).
The Raiders battled with Lehigh for fourth the entire event, but lost out in the end by a mere 4.5 points to the Mountain Hawks. Colgate posted 353 points to Lehigh’s 357.5.
The Colgate women open up the season October 24 in State College, Pa. as they take on Penn State and West Virginia in a tri-meet. The men’s opener is the following Saturday as it travels to take on Lehigh.