Swimming & Diving Opens Season With UMass on Saturday
October 12, 2012 | Men's Swimming & Diving
Oct. 12, 2012
BOSTON - The Boston University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams begin the 2012-13 season on Saturday (Oct. 13) when BU welcomes Massachusetts to the Competition Pool. The meet is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.
The Terriers are coming off a successful season in which the men’s and women’s teams swept the 2012 America East Championship for the first time since 1994. It marked the seventh America East title, and third in the last four years, for the women while the men earned their first championship since 2002 and fourth league title overall.
Head coach Bill Smyth returns for his eighth season leading the Terriers along with assistant coach Jen Strasburger and diving coaching Agnes Gerlach-Miller. The staff was honored as the Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year for the 2011-12 season.
Despite the loss of All-Conference performer Daniel Kempf, who claimed three individual first-place finishes at last year’s conference championship, the BU men return a talented young team. Leading the way is 2012 Rookie of the Meet Conor Stuewe, who captured a pair of second-place finishes, a fourth-place finish and was a member of three winning relay teams at last year’s conference tournament. Stuewe looks to lead the Terriers in the backstroke and freestyle events.
Also returning for the Terriers is fellow sophomore Nik Astashinsky who should build on his strong rookie campaign which concluded with a pair of top-five finishes in the individual medley events, including a win in the 400 IM.
In the breaststroke events, the Terriers return a pair of top-five finishers from last year’s championship in juniors Jeff Thomas and Andrew Guinther while Thomas should also lead the Terriers in the butterfly events.
On the diving platform, junior Jared Scheck returns after a trip to the NCAA Zone A Diving Championships last season. At the conference championship, Scheck placed second from the 3 meter board and third on the 1 meter board.
The men also welcome three newcomers to this year’s roster in Tanner Cridland, Mun Hon Lee and Brandon Weiss.
After claiming their third conference title in four seasons, the BU women enter the 2012-13 season poised for another strong year. Despite losing senior all-conference performers Amanda Schmitz and Kristen Connors, the Terriers still return a wealth of talent in addition to nine newcomers.
The diving duo of senior Melinda Matyas and junior Chelsea Glincman return after finishing first and second, respectively, in both the 1-meter and 3-meter events last year. Matyas has dominated America East competition throughout her career, as she has claimed three consecutive Diver of the Meet awards.
BU returns talent in the backstroke events with senior Katie Radin coming off a conference championship in the 200 backstroke while fellow senior Kara Zebrowski and sophomore Alexsa Savage finished in the top five in the 100 backstroke.
Junior Kendra Cheng begins her season as one of the Terriers’ top threats in several events. Cheng swam on the winning 800 freestyle relay team last season in addition to notching a top-three finish in the 200 IM.
Cheng will be joined in the freestyle events by sophomore Katie Kenney, who is also a threat in the butterfly with a top-five finish in the 200 m race at the conference championship.
Nine newcomers have joined the Terriers on the women’s side including Karla Ferrera, Elizabeth Garreau, Tess Harpur, Olivia Hughes, Stephanie Nasson, Celia Simpson, Mika Spencer, Bianca Tocci and Anna Veselovsky.
