2004-05 Men's Swimming and Diving Outlook

01/01/05

WILLIAMSBURG, VA - After finishing fifth at last year’s conference championships, William and Mary men’s swimming and diving is poised for a breakout season. With first-year Director of Swimming McGee Moody adding his proven track record of maximizing his athletes’ potential to an already potent lineup, the Tribe is primed for championship success. With 2004 CAA 100 fly champion Eric Druker, 2002 100 breast champion Bruce Thomas and 2004 double-bronze CAA medalist Scott Rhodes headlining the returnees of the squad, the Tribe should make great strides in its goal to reach the top of the conference.

Freestyle
Rhodes fronts the Tribe’s distance freestyle effort in a contingent filled with newcomers. Rhodes comes into his senior season aiming to cap an already decorated career. The senior is in the top-four of the team’s all-time top times in the 200, 500, 1000 and 1650 free and is coming off the best CAA meet of his career, as he captured bronze medalist honors in both the 200 free and 500 free. Ranked in the top-10 of the CAA in two freestyle events through the fall (including fifth in the 500 free), Rhodes should once again lead the team at conferences.

Joining Rhodes are several newcomers primed to make an immediate impact in the distance freestyles. Freshmen Matt Shoulders and Nick Widmyer were expected to contribute immediately, and both have swam solidly in their rookie campaigns, as both advanced to the finals of several events at the competitive Terrapin Invitational. Shoulders has already established himself as one of the top distance freestylers in the CAA, ranked in the top-10 in both the 500 and 1650 free through the fall.

The sprint freestyles see one of the Tribe’s deepest lineups, with a wealth of seasoned swimmers able to contribute, including Druker, sophomore Nick Duda and juniors Bob Jacobsen and Jake Albright. Druker swam the Tribe’s fastest 50 free time during the fall, winning the event at all five dual meets. After winning the consolation race in the 50 free at CAAs in 2004, Druker has steadily improved and, as the fifth-fastest 50 freestyler in the CAA this fall, he should challenge in the A-Finals at conferences. Duda swam the team’s fastest time in the 100 free this fall, and had a solid debut at conferences in 2004, swimming to the top-25 of both the 50 and 100 free. The sophomore has shown continued improvement in his second season, advancing to the finals of three freestyle events at the Terrapin Invite this fall. Albright and Jacobsen provide great depth to the contingent, each carrying the experience of competing in the finals of top meets such as the Terrapin Invite and CAAs. Hitting a personal record to close the fall, Albright is ranked eighth in the conference in the 50 free and is primed to take the next step at conferences.

Breaststroke
The breaststroke events could be the Tribe’s strongest and deepest with five talented athletes combining to create a formidable force. Thomas, the 2002 CAA 100 breast champion, fronts the contingent with a wealth of accolades to his credit. He just missed victory in the 100 breast at the 2002 Terrapin Invite, claiming second in the A-Finals, and has proven his drive to reach the next level of success, capping this fall with a qualification to the U. S. Open in the 100 breast. Swimming the fastest time among CAA competitors in the 100 breast during the fall, he is a favorite in the event at conferences.

Fellow senior Bob Brofft will also provide veteran experience, as a proven scorer at CAAs. He ended the fall by swimming to the finals of both breaststroke events at the Terrapin Invitational and is ranked in the top-10 in both events in the CAA. Junior Jeff Clark will be another tested leader in the events. The winner of the 100 breast consolation race at CAAs last season, the junior has made a habit of advancing to the A-Finals of the breaststroke events at the elite Terrapin Invitational. Qualifying for the A-Finals at CAAs is the next step in his career, one he is ready for as the third-fastest 100 breaststroker in the CAA through the fall.

Sophomore Andrew Carberry has quickly made himself into one of the top breaststrokers on the team after swimming into the finals of the 200 breast at CAAs as a freshman, clocking the fourth-best Tribe time for the event during prelims. With a season under his belt, the sophomore should reach greater heights this season. Freshman Alex Jendzejec aims to make an immediate impact on the squad. A Junior Nationals qualifier, he advanced to the finals of both breast events at the Terrapin Invite.

Butterfly
Druker leads the College’s fly effort as the defending conference champion in the 100 fly. He set the school record (50.15) in that effort, which also qualified him for the event at the U. S. Open. He continued his strong swimming into this season, claiming third in the A-Finals of the 100 fly at the Terrapin Invitational, and is primed to defend his CAA title as the fastest 100 flyer in the conference. Joining Druker to lead the contingent is junior transfer Tony Wareck, who will make a huge impact for the team. Expected to be a major scorer, Wareck swam the fastest 200 fly time on the squad during the fall and advanced to the finals of both fly events at the Terrapin Invitational. He currently ranks eighth in the CAA in the 200 fly. Junior Evan Elsaesser, who swam to sixth in the A-Finals of the 100 fly at CAAs in 2004, will be another big contributor. Ranked fourth in the CAA in the 100 fly this fall, he just missed reaching the A-Finals of the 100 fly at the Terrapin Invite, clocking the ninth-fastest time in prelims.

Sophomore Joey Peterson will be another contributor, after claiming 11th in the 200 fly at CAAs in 2004. Continuing his progression at the collegiate level, Peterson qualified for the finals of both fly events at this fall’s Terrapin Invitational. Junior Peter King, who spent the fall semester studying abroad, will return to the team for the winter season aiming to make an impact at the CAA Championships where he raced to top-16 finishes in both flys as a freshman. Jacobsen and freshman Jesse Moore will also contribute in the events as each reached the finals of their fly events at the Terrapin Invite. Moore has great potential as a two-time All-American in the 400 free relay and a state champion in the same event.

Backstroke
Three juniors, Elsaesser, Albright and Matt Wolff will anchor the backstroke events. Elsaesser, who swam the fastest time in the 100 back this fall, claimed 10th in both backstrokes at the 2004 CAAs and finished eighth in the 100 back at 2003 conferences. Albright, the Tribe’s fastest 200 backstroker this fall, impressed with his eighth-place in the A-Finals of the 100 back at the Terrapin Invitational. The junior just missed making the finals of the 100 back at CAAs last year, finishing 17th in the prelims, one spot shy of transferring. Albright and Elsaesser are both ranked in the CAA top-10 in both backstroke events through the fall and should score well at conferences. Wolff finished 11th in the 200 back at conferences in 2004 after winning the 200 back consolation race in 2003 and aims to reach the A-Finals this season.

Individual Medley
The Tribe boasts a solid lineup in the individual medley events with a mix of youth and experience. Thomas heads the contingent as the CAA’s fastest swimmer in the 200 IM during the fall. He also impressed with a fourth in the A-Finals of the event at the Terrapin Invitational. Jendzejec won the 400 IM consolation race the Terrapin Invitational and has made an immediate impact in the event, swimming the team’s fastest 400 IM time during the fall which ranks him seventh in the CAA. Wolff and Peterson are both solid contributors in the individual medleys as each reached the finals at the Terrapin Invite. Moore is also aiding in the events after swimming into the consolation race of the 400 IM at the Terrapin Invite.

Diving
The weight of the Tribe’s diving effort will fall on the shoulders of freshman Brandon Paster. An all-star all four seasons in high school, Paster is quickly acclimating to collegiate diving, having won the 1-meter dive versus James Madison in the fall. He will also see action in some freestyle events.