2007-08 Preview
Following the success of the 2006-2007 season, the Swarthmore College women's swimming team looks to decorate more team members with Conference success after an impressive third place in the Conference Championships. The Garnet return an All-American, a number of conference medalists, as well as three women who earned spots on the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll.
With a solid recruitment of seven freshmen and an outstanding collection of veterans, the Swarthmore women look collect the school’s third Centennial Championship to be contested at Franklin & Marshall later this year.
The 2006-2007 team posted a record of 7-3, with a Conference record of 6-1, falling only to eventual conference champion Gettysburg. Under the guidance of Sue Davis (33rd season), the Garnet women will host six home meets at Ware Pool (five dual meets) as well as a two-day invitational at the Conference Championship host Franklin & Marshall. In early January the team will take a ten-day training excursion to beautiful Puerto Rico.
The list of the top returning swimmers begins with All-America sophomore Anne Miller, who competed at the 2007 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships held at the University of Houston. She earned All-America status in both the 100 and 200 butterfly events. She began the Championship by breaking the 10-year old school record in the 500 freestyle, coming in 28th place with a time of 5:11.31. She came in 15th place in the 100 butterfly finals, breaking her own school record with a time of 57.92. Her greatest success was the last day of the Championships, where she earned 5th pace in the 200 butterfly, the best individual finish ever for a Swarthmore swimmer at nationals. She sped through the race in a time of 2:04.44, again breaking her school record. She ended her freshman season with her name on five school records, as well as three gold and one bronze Centennial Conference medals.
The top-returning seniors include Conference medal-winners Jennie Lewis '08 and Franny Zhang '08. Both were members of the second-place 200 freestyle relay team (1:39.88). Zhang also swam fourth in the 100 free with 54.57, and Lewis earned placed sixth in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:15.89.
Junior Allie Jordan and sophomore Casey Osborn also come equipped with experience. Jordan and Osborn were members of the winning 200 medley relay, where Jordan set a school record for her lead backstroke leg of 28.69. Jordan also joined Miller on the victorious 400 medley relay squad, earning another gold medal. She set a school record with her opening backstroke leg in 1:01.33, helping jump-start the relay to school record time of 4:01.97. Jordan also collected a bronze in the 200 backstroke in 2:11.40, while Osborn earned a bronze in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:11.15.
The Garnet will benefit from the experienced veterans, as well fresh talent to build up another impressive record, and look to be a dominating force in the conference. The women begin their season at Widener University on November 1, starting at 6:30 p.m. The Garnet’s first home meet will feature NYU at Ware Pool on November 17 at 2:00 p.m. Their first Centennial match-up will be against McDaniel on November 3, also at 2:00 p.m.