2006-07 Preview
Coming off a third-place Centennial Conference finish in the 2005-2006 season, Swarthmore women's swimming will look to further recent success, attempting a run at the third Centennial Conference Championship in school history. The Garnet will turn to an established set of experienced upperclassmen as well as the promise of successful showings from last year's underclassmen and five promising freshman to challenge for the Conference Championship this season.
In 2005-06, the team finished 7-4 overall and 5-2 within the conference and swam strong at the season-ending Centennial Conference Championships. This season, the 32nd under long-time head coach Sue Davis, the team will compete in ten dual meets and one two-day tournament at Franklin & Marshall, as well as embarking on a ten-day training trip to Puerto Rico. The team concludes the regular season at the Centennial Conference Championships, hosted by Franklin & Marshall.
The Garnet will look to an experienced roster that includes seven returning Centennial Conference Championship medal winners in hopes of achieving a conference title. Among the returning swimmers is senior standout Sarah Cotcamp. After racking up an array of victories during the regular season, Cotcamp captured four medals at the last Conference Championship, including the bronze medal in the 50 yard freestyle with a time of 25.05. Teaming up with Martyna Pospierzalska '06, Michelle Hom '07, and Jennie Lewis '08, Cotcamp was able to secure the silver medal in the 200 yard medley relay by swimming the fourth fastest time in school history with a time of 1:52.40.
Joining Cotcamp as a premier swimmer in the conference are juniors Franny Zhang and Jennie Lewis. Both had numerous victories throughout the regular season as well as three medals apiece in the Conference Championship meet. Lewis, a butterfly specialist, took home the bronze in the 100 yard butterfly at Conference Championships with a time of 1:00.14.
Zhang displayed an astonishing amount of athleticism by successfully competing in a diversity of events. Over the course of the season, she recorded victories in events that ranged from the 100 yard butterfly to the 1000 yard freestyle. More often than not, she would win multiple events in a meet, leading her team to seven victories over the year. Lewis, Zhang, and Cotcamp were part of the 400 yard freestyle relay team that set the school record time of 3:37.12 back in 2005.
With one more year of experience under their belts the Swarthmore women's swimming team has a vast amount of potential and will be a force to be reckoned with this year in the conference. The Garnet open the 2006-07 season with three consecutive home meets, beginning with a non-conference dual meet with local rival Widener on Wed., Nov. 1 at 6:30 p.m. The Centennial Conference portion of the schedule begins on Sat., Nov. 4 when McDaniel visits Ware Pool at 2:00 p.m.