Swarthmore Stirs Right Blend In Ware Pool
A deep, experienced senior class heads the Swarthmore men's swimming squad in 2008-09, and a talented collection of first-years could push the team over that final hurdle towards a Centennial Conference Championship.
The Garnet men completed the 2007-08 season in style, collecting 24 medals at the Conference Championship meet while finishing second overall (612.5 points) for the second consecutive season. Head coach Sue Davis returns for her 25th season, turning to seniors Doug Gilchrist-Scott (Canton, Ohio / Canton), Thomas Kelleher (Brockton, Mass. / Moses Brown), Blaise Sheridan (Tuscon, Ariz. / University) and Stephen Shymon (San Diego, Calif. / Univ. of San Diego) to lead the charge.
Gilchrist-Scott, twice selected as team captain by his teammates, is the leader of the team, displaying talent in two different events. Gilchrist, a sprint freestyler and a backstroker, owns six College records (50 backstroke, 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 medley relay, 200 and 400 freestyle relay) and earned 16 Conference medals (three gold). He had his coming-out party at last year’s Centennial Championship meet, using a powerful turn to claim gold in the 50 freestyle (College-record time of 21.53). Gilchrist-Scott collected five bronze medals over the three-day event, including a medal in the 100 freestyle (he broke the College record with a 47.53 time in the preliminaries).
Shymon, also a versatile swimmer, has been a dominant force for Swarthmore since he first set foot on campus. An accomplished distance freestyler, Shymon owns all three College records in the discipline (500, 1000 and 1650). He swam his way to two silver medals at the 2008 Conference Championship meet (500, 1650), the third consecutive year Shymon has medaled in the both distance events. Shymon has also excelled in the IM events, taking home a bronze at 400 yards in each of his first two seasons (he missed last year’s final with an illness).
Kelleher and Sheridan are both experienced swimmers providing the depth that is the key to gaining much-needed points. Kelleher, a freestyler and backstroker, brought home a bronze in the 200 freestyle relay at Conference championships. Sheridan swims both the backstroke and sprint freestyle, and is capable of lowering the time of the relay squads.
A pair of underclassman contributed immediately to Coach Davis’ squad. Sophomore Sterling Satterfield (Durham, N.C. / Charles E. Jordan) emerged the top Garnet breaststroke swimmer in 2008-09, earning silver in the 200 and bronze in the 100. Satterfield also picked up bronze medals in the 200 IM (bronze), 200 medley and the 400 medley relay. Santiago Lombo ’11 (Houston, Texas / Strake Jesuit) medaled three times on the relays at the Conference championships (200 freestyle, 200 and 400 medley).
Coach Davis and her coaching staff brought in 12 fresh faces this season, ranging from local Pennsylvania and New Jersey swimmers to as far west as the state of Washington.
A strong start appears in Swarthmore’s cards—the first three dual meets take place in the comfort of Ware Pool, starting with a November 5th engagement with Widener at 6:30 p.m. The Garnet open the Centennial dual meet schedule on November 8 at 2:00 p.m., welcoming McDaniel to campus at 2:00 p.m.