The men’s swimming and diving team will participate in the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League championships this weekend, hoping to cap off the season on a high note. The EISL consists of every Ivy League school, as well as Army and Navy.
Harvard and Princeton have generally dominated the league, winning a majority of the past 30 championships.
Last season the Red took sixth place in the meet, which may be a predictor for the team’s success this weekend. Both this year’s and last year’s squads finished with an identical 7-4 overall record.
Head Coach Joe Lucia noted that he is “confident how the team has prepared.”
“[They] can finish anywhere between fourth and eighth depending on how guys swim,” he said. “All 17 guys we bring have a chance to score for us.”
Of the 17 competitors for the Red, five swimmers scored in last year’s event.
Senior Danny Royce, last season’s top scorer, finished fourth in the 200-yard breaststroke, while classmate Charles Ernst finished twenty-third in the 100-yard freestyle. Two ninth-place finishes were earned by sophomores Danny Diette and Tony Schultz, in the 200-yard backstroke and the three-meter dive events, respectively.
Lucia also noted that he “expects a lot from the diving corps,” because they have been a strong factor in the team’s success, especially Schultz.
Rounding out the group of last year’s performers is junior Rob Payne, who finished in twenty-first place in the 200-yard butterfly. Looking to step into the spotlight for the first time this year will be freshmen Stefano Caprara in the backstroke and Individual Medley events, and Jared Levan and Chase Nielsen in the long distance freestyle events.
The EISL championships will take place at the Long Island Aquatic Center in Uniondale, N.Y. The event will run from tomorrow until Saturday.
Archived article by Chris Mascaro