2009-10 Behrend Lions Swimming and Diving Season Preview

After winning three straight Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference men's and women's swimming and diving championship titles, the blue and white will suit up for the tenth year of varsity competition with high aspirations.  The Behrend Lions are stacked hitting the water in 2009-10 with a deeper roster filled with successful and experienced performers.

"I am very excited to see what this season has in store for us", said seventh year Head Coach Jen Wallace. "There is potential to achieve more than we ever have." 

Additional leadership for the program will be provided by veteran assistant sprint and stroke coach Joe Tristan, diving coach Gordy Schmidt along with former Behrend Lion standout Anthony Spoto. Tristan carries a nice resume and a high level of experience that will push the swimmers. Schmidt returns for his eighth year as the diving coach. He has created high expectations for his divers and is working hard to increase the difficulty and perfection of their list.  "I am very fortunate to have Joe, Gordy, and Anthony as key elements to our team," said Coach Wallace.

The Behrend Lions women's roster is full of talent that has been highly decorated and successful in the AMCC.  Last season, the squad won the league title by virtue of a 213 to 207 score over second place Frostburg State. Co-Captain's Danielle Wilson (Pittsburgh/Plum) and Katie Van Epps (Pleasantville/Titusville) will provide a positive influence on the younger members of the roster. Entering her senior season, Wilson is a three year captain and school record holder as member of the 200 medley and 200 free relay teams. She also boasts nine AMCC All-Conference First Team awards and is an ECAC qualifier. Van Epps was named the program's Most Valuable Swimmer last year as a sophomore and was selected all-conference in six events in 2008-09.

The junior class features Jenny LaFuria (North East/North East) and NCAA Championship qualifier, Krystal Kovach (Pittsburgh/Chartiers Valley).

Kovach was one of only 21 divers that advanced to the NCAA Championships. She also a six time AMCC Diver of the Week and earned all-league honors in both the 1 meter and 3 meter. LaFuria returns to the water after a year away from the pool.  She appears ready for a breakout year and is expected to score points for the Behrend Lions this winter.

Six sophomores looking to continue to make waves for the blue and white this season are Alyssa Baran (Elizabeth/Elizabeth Forward), Julie Cook (Warren/Warren), Anne Lawrence (State College/State College), Hilary MacManus (Beaver Falls/Blackhawk), Leslie Nichols (Corry/Corry), and Heather Vickery (Bradford/Bradford).  Baran returns after a year off from competition and will compete in the free events. Cook and Lawrence make up two parts of the record holding 200 medley relay team. MacManus and Vickery were both named to the AMCC All-Conference team in multiple events, while Nichols transfers in to Behrend with a year of collegiate experience

New faces in the Behrend line-up include freshmen Kim Ballentine (King of Prussia/Upper Merion), Stefania Pontillo (Erie/McDowell), Carly Rice (Meadville/Meadville), MaryEllen Spooner (Springfield, VA/West Springfield), Meghan Stefanko (Elizabeth/Elizabeth Forward), and Brittany Tanilli (Pleasantville/Titusville). They add important depth to the women's team and will look to score points this season.

Headlining the men's roster will be junior team captains Ben Strunk (Cogan Station/Williamsport), and Josh Weaver (Franklin/Franklin). These two owned a combined one dozen spots on the 2008-09 AMCC All-Conference squad. They also are members of the school record holding 800 free relay team.

Four seniors return with AMCC Championship experience under their belts and will be assets to the ten freshmen new to the program. John Reish (Pittsburgh/Penn Hills), Harmilee Cousin III (Buckeystown, MD/Tuscarora), and Stephen Graves (McMurray/Peters Township) have carved out very nice Behrend Lions careers. Also returning with three years of Behrend Lions swimming experience is Robert Westhelle (Norwood, NJ/Northern Valley). Reish leads by example while Graves continues to score a bunch of points off the boards. Graves the Diver of the Year in the AMCC for two year running already holds the team record for one and three meter diving. Cousin and Westhelle will utilize past experiences to provide point scoring opportunities for the blue and white all season long.  

The sophomore class has skills to cover several events and will build off strong freshman seasons. Dane Dombrosky (Mt. Pleasant/Mt. Pleasant), Chris Dunleavy (McMurray/Peters Township), Mike Falvo (Pittsburgh/Upper St. Clair), Jacob Sherk (Elizabethtown/Elizabethtown), and Terrance Watterson (Pittsburgh/Bentwood) make up the class. Dombrosky and Watterson both claimed AMCC Swimmer of the Week honors last year with Dombrosky earning all-league recognition in five events. Falvo will look to score in the free events and Sherk in the breast stroke. Dunleavy returns to the team after a two year absence.

A total of ten freshman swimmers will join the Behrend Lions for the upcoming season.  Clay Altemose (Apollo/Apollo-Ridge), Hunter Backentose (Downingtown/Downington East), Jake DesRoches (Fairfax, VA/WT Woodson), John Kelley (New Kensington/Burrell), Brian Mong (Franklin/Franklin), Andrew Opalewski (Slippery Rock/Slippery Rock), Ricardo Ortiz (Erie/McDowell), Eric Peirce (Harmony/Seneca Valley), Everett Sargent (Gibsonia/Pine-Richland), and Frank Sullivan (Montoursville/Montoursville). Coach Wallace anticipates this group gaining valuable experience throughout the early portion of the team's schedule and then being ready to make contributions at championship events.

When talking about the start of the 2009-10 schedule, Coach Wallace fired back with a great deal of energy in her voice, "Our dual meet schedule will challenge our athletes to swim faster and more aggressively all season. It will prepare them for postseason competition." 

Key meets in the Junker Center pool this winter include home meets against Bethany, St. Vincent, Baldwin-Wallace, Gannon, Mt. Union, and Penn State Altoona. Important road dates in November that will push the blue and white include events at Allegheny, and Frostburg State.  December features the highly competitive Blue Devil Invitational at Fredonia State before winter training begins in Largo, Florida, during the first week of January. The second semester will feature six meets in January providing preparation for the AMCC Championships at on February 17-20.  "While we have increased both our depth and strength so has our AMCC competition," said Wallace.  " I think we will see multiple records fall this year for our team and our conference."

"Our goal this year is to not only defend our AMCC Championship titles, but to move up our standing in the Grove City Invitational as well as our post season competition.  To do so, we must swim fast and smart and dive flawlessly," said Wallace. The ECAC Championships are scheduled one week later at the University of Pittsburgh, Coach Wallace's old stopping grounds.