Swimming and Diving Opens Season at Florida Atlantic
Oct. 14, 2005
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami swimming and diving team will kick off the 2005-06 season with a dual meet against instate rival Florida Atlantic at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday in the FAU pool.
Last season, both team’s split their two meetings with Miami winning the first meet of the season in Coral Gables, before falling to the Owls in Boca Raton.
2005-06 Swimming and Diving Outlook
The University of Miami swimming and diving team enters the 2005-06 season with high expectations after establishing itself as a program on the rise in its inaugural season in the tough Atlantic Coast Conference.
Last season, the Hurricanes finished with a 7-7 overall record and enjoyed trips to the Georgia Tech Invitational, U.S. Open and the ACC Championships.
Junior Ashley Knapp holds the UM school record in the 100-backstroke |
Despite suffering injuries, Miami enjoyed plenty of individual success as two swimmers set school records while at the ACC Championships. Sophomore Ashley Knapp broke the school record in the 100-backstroke with a time 57.23 while senior Katalin Ferenzci tied her 200-backstroke record, which she set in 2004, with a time of 2:01.69.
“Overall last season turned out to be very difficult as a result of injuries and some other things that kept our swimmers out of the water and definitely affected our performance throughout the year,” noted third year head coach Mariusz Podkoscielny.
This season, the Hurricanes will enlist the help of 14 returning letterwinners and eight talented newcomers to return to the prominence often seen in latter-day Miami swimming and diving squads. With only one senior on the roster, the Hurricanes will continue to build on UM tradition with up and coming swimmers and divers that add depth to every event.
“We are starting to build solid components for the future of the program,” continued Podkoscielny. “I felt that the team last year came together through the adversities. They grew stronger and that has already shown in our training during the first few weeks of the season. We are a cohesive group, goal oriented and motivated. We’re taking the lessons of the past two years and moving ahead to the bright future.”
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“I felt that the team last year came together through the adversities. They grew stronger and that has already shown in our training during the first few weeks of the season. We are a cohesive group, goal oriented and motivated.” Head Swim Coach Mariusz Podkoscielny |
The Hurricanes’ 2005-06 slate has them taking part in dual meets against in-state rivals Florida State, Florida International and Florida Atlantic as well as against ACC foes Maryland, Duke and NC State. Miami will also travel to the Georgia Tech Invitational that will take place November 18-20 and will once again host the Matt Gribble Invitational January 6-7. UM swimmers will participate in the U.S. Open December 1-3 while the diving squad will take part in the Ohio State Invitational December 2-4. Both teams will meet up once again at the ACC Championships in College Park, Md. February 15-18.
Event Outlook
This season Podkoscielny is encouraged by the sprint events where there will be a noted improvement from last year, “This is the largest sprint group that we have had but it’s still a very young sprint group with mostly sophomores and freshmen.”
Two newcomers that look to make an immediate impact in the sprint events are Kirsten Pomerleau and Christine Swiggers, both of whom bring with them a wealth of international experience. Pomerleau, a native of Calgary, Canada holds provincial records in the 50-freestyle, 50-backstroke and 100-backstroke while also holding national records in the 400 freestyle and medley relays. Swiggers, who hails from Somerset, South Africa has participated in the South African Senior Nationals, All-Africa Games and the Afro-Asian Games.
In the breastroke, Podkoscielny will look to redshirt-freshman Melinda Hochard to lead the Hurricanes. Hochard, a four-time Massachusetts state champion in the 100-breaststroke, was forced to redshirt her freshman season after suffering an injury.
School record-holder junior Ashley Knapp will lead Miami’s contingent of backstrokers. Knapp had a breakthrough season last year, posting the school record in the 100-backstroke while also clocking UM’s third-best time in the 200-backstroke.
Junior Nancy Gajos |
Another strong area for the Hurricanes will be the butterfly event. Two of Miami’s most experienced butterfliers, juniors Nancy Gajos and Andrea Hughes, posted top-times in both the 100 and 200 butterfly last season. The Hurricanes will also be looking for great things from sophomore Capria DeVenuto who is coming off a great summer of competition.
The long distance events will be highlighted by junior Tara Erwin, who for the past two years has been hitting marks close to NCAA standards. “We all hope that this is going to the year for her to reach the NCAA Championship,” said Podkoscielnly.
“Just by the nature of how this team has grown in the past two years and especially last year, it is going to be reflected in our performances,” concluded Podkoscielny. “We look forward to finishing higher in the ACC championships and take some more swimmers and divers to the NCAA Championships. We are really looking for improvements on our relays and with the addition of our new sprinters, that’s going to make a huge impact. We look to be competitive in the dual meets and carry the lessons of the regular season into ACC champs and the post season.”
Diving Outlook
17-year veteran diving head coach Randy Ableman will once again lead the Hurricane diving squad into national prominence.
Sophomore Jenna Dreyer was named the 2004-05 ACC Diver of the Year |
The 2005-06 squad is powered by ACC Female Diver of the Year Jenna Dreyer, who received All-American honors after only one year of collegiate competition.
“Jenna had a great freshman year, she learned a lot,” said Ableman. “She is competing better and I look for her to be an ACC Champion as well as making the NCAA Championships.”
Miami’s lone senior is Melanie Rinaldi who is coming off knee surgery. Rinaldi dove well over the summer for her native Canada. “Melanie has not made it to the NCAA Championships yet, so that is a huge goal of mine that she not only makes it to that event but that she becomes an All-American there,” added Ableman.
Junior Heather Bounds returns after a successful summer that saw her win a silver medal on the 10-meter platform at the Speedo National Diving Championships. Bounds reached the NCAA championships as a sophomore. “My goal for her is to make it to the NCAA Championships and to be an All-American in the three meter and the 10-meter platform,” said Ableman.
Junior All-American Derek Starks will be Miami’s only male diver |
Newcomer Tess Waresmith will join the Hurricanes this season, “This is going to be a development year for Tess,” noted Ableman. “She has a lot of learning to do and that is what this year is going to be about. She needs to learn our system and improve. We will be counting on her in the years to come.”
Miami’s only male diver is two-time All-American Derek Starks, who won a silver medal on the one-meter at the Speedo National Diving Championships this summer. “Our goal this year is to take it to the next step which would be All-American on all three levels, one, three and ten meters, ” said Ableman. “The first few years he just made it on the ten meter platform, it’s his better event. But, he’s improved in the others and our goal is for him is to be a finalist at the NCAA Championships and an ACC Champion in every event.”
