2007-08 Preview
Returning from one of the best seasons in school history, the 2007-2008 Swarthmore College men's swimming team is looking to build on the success of an impressive second-place finish in last year's Centennial Conference Championship.
Finishing right behind powerhouse Franklin & Marshall, the men’s team had their best Championship finish since 1999. Despite losing a powerful set of seniors, the Garnet anticipate that with this experience, as well as six new recruits, they can contend for the top spot in the Centennial.
The Swarthmore men completed the 2006-07 season with a 7-2 record, and a spotless 6-0 record for the Conference, the first Centennial dual meet title in school history. Head coach Sue Davis leads the men in her 33rd season at Swarthmore. The Garnet men have ten dual meets, and start off December with a two-day invitational at Franklin & Marshall. Ten warm days in Puerto Rico await them in January training-trip. Swarthmore will finish their regular season at Franklin & Marshall in the last weekend of February at the annual Centennial Conference Championships.
The junior class is coming into the season with an outstanding Centennial record. Doug Gilchrist-Scott '09 leads his classmates as a member of the first-place 200 freestyle relay, which owns the school record with a time of 1:25.81. He and classmate Brian Roth were members of the winning 200 medley relay, setting both a Conference and a school record in a time of 1:36.43. Gilchrist-Scott also set a school-record time in his lead-off backstroke leg (24.82). Gilchrist-Scott and Roth were also members of the 400 medley relay, earning second-place and missing a school record by less than one second in 3:32.69. Individually, Gilchrist-Scott earned a silver in the 100 backstroke, as well as a pair of bronze medals in the 50 freestyle and 200 backstroke.
Stephen Shymon '09 is another vital part of the strong junior class, having taken silver in both the 500 and 1650 freestyle races at the Conference, and a bronze in the 400 IM (4:18.63). Shymon and Michael Ahn '10 helped the Garnet pick up a silver in the 800 freestyle relay. Seniors John Heagy and Andrew Frampton also provide depth for the men’s team, with Frampton earning two 2007 Centennial medals, including a bronze for the 1650 freestyle.
The Garnet men begin their season on November 1 at Widener University with the first home meet taking place on November 17, when NYU comes to Ware Pool. Swarthmore begins Centennial competition against McDaniel on November 3, also at 2:00 p.m. The season culminates at the Centennial Championships on the weekend of February 22-24 at Franklin & Marshall.