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In print | Published November 11, 2004

Women’s swimming

This year’s women’s swim team is out to recapture past glory in a season filled with exciting meets. The Garnet ladies were the top dogs in the Centennial Conference two years in a row, from 2000-2002. Last year, however, they encountered some bumps along the road as it took fourth at the championships with a 3-4 conference record and an overall record of 6-4. The team 2004-2005 team has added five freshmen to round off the squad of 25 swimmers.

The veterans of the team, seven returning seniors, will lead the squad this year.“The seniors are performing very well, but the freshman will have a big role as they come up,” Melanie Johncilla ’05 said.

Many of the first-years have the potential to surprise everyone with a break out season, including talented Franny Zhang ’08 and Whitney Nekoba ’08. The team needs these rookies to mature quickly, as there are some gaps left from graduating seniors.

The team has prepared even harder to enter this season in solid physical and mental shape. Coach Sue Davis has guided the women’s swim team since 1974 and she knows how to get the most out of her swimmers. Davis is joined by assistant coaches Mike Dudley, a Swarthmore alumni who swam for the men’s team from 1999-2003, and technical genius Charlie Kennedy.

These instructors started the team early with hopes of getting the women back in shape for the beginning of the season.

While both the physical cardio and emotional bonding within the team is still in progress, the Garnet swim team is already on the right path to reclaim the top spot in the Centennial Conference as they have already won their first two meets against Widener and McDaniel. Expect a close and tough competition on Nov. 13 as they meet Franklin and Marshall, the defending conference champions, at 2 p.m in Ware Pool.

By Toni Maratello

Men’s indoor track

A mix of seasoned long distance runners and speedy sprinters will help the men’s indoor track and field season get off to a good start. Moving indoors, the men’s cross country team will look to continue its fall success into track season. James Golden ’05, Lang Reynolds ’05 and Garrett Ash ’05 will be key contributors on the long distance side.

Last year, Ash won two silver medals at the Centennial Conference championships, including capturing second place in the 3,000 meter run with school record time of 8:40.40. He then went on to earn his second silver in the 5,000 meter with a time of 15:23.94.

The team took sixth place at the indoor track and field conference championships last year. Many point scorers for the Garnet at the conference meet are returning for this season.

“I think the distance guys are going to be solid, because we have Garrett, who set the school record in the 3k, Lang, who got first in conferences last year, and we have a bunch of new freshmen who are going to be good,” Golden said.

The distance medley relay team of Vernon Chaplin ’07, Tyler Lyson ’06, Paul Thibodeau ’06, and James Golden ’05 took third place at the conference meet last year with a time of 10:35.67.

Leading the sprinters was Lyson, who took eighth place in the 400 meters at the same meet.

“We’re going to be pretty solid this year,” Lyson said. “We have a couple of new guys, and everyone is looking really good in workouts.”

“Hopefully, we will do well at the conference level and try to beat some of the Haverford guys that killed me in cross-country,” Golden said. “Also, it would be great to make nationals.”

The team’s first indoor meet will be down the road on Dec. 5 at the Villanova Invite.

By Darcy Nelson

Badminton

After a successful run at the PAIAW championship last season, the women’s badminton team gears up for the 2004 winter season with optimistic attitudes. Three-year veteran Jessica Larson ‘06 expressed the team’s anticipation for the season to begin.

“I am really excited for this season,” she said. “Although we lost six seniors last year to graduation, we have a strong core of players returning, [and] we have a great bunch of new players who are dedicated to their improvement, and will be great players by the time conference action rolls around.”

“We have a lot of new players this year,” Candince Cherk ’07 said. One of the main goals of the season, she said, was “to have them enjoy badminton so they can contribute for the next couple years.”

Anjali Aggarwal ’06, Cherk and Larson should be the key competitiors for the Garnet this winter.

While the squad does not compete in the Centennial Conference like other Swarthmore varsity sports, it will see plenty of action in tournaments in the region. The schedule includes trips to the Main Line Invite at Haverford on Dec. 6, PAIAW Championships at Bryn Mawr, and Mid-Atlantic Regionals at the Kinetix Sportsplex in Fairview Village, Penn. Rivals Bryn Mawr, Albright and Bryn Athen will make consistent appearances on the Garnet schedule.

The team welcomes Bhavin Parkih, its former assistant coach, to the head coach position this year. “He is a very talented player, and is making us all stronger, fitter, and more competitive,” Larson said.

“We’ve had a lot of experience with him,” Cherk said. “He’s an amazing coach.” With a new coach and addition of first-year players, the team hopes to whack its competition en route to placing teammates in the running for Nationals.

“This season certainly looks promising,” Larson said. “I know that we will have a great shot at winning conferences again this year.”

By Emily Conlon

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