For Immediate Release: February 16, 2011
Contact: Terrence Lollie (sports@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-2956

Binghamton men's swimming and diving look to become part of conference elite
Bearcats begin America East Championships on Thursday

America East Championship Central
America East preview
Schedule of Events

VESTAL, N.Y. -- The Binghamton men's swimming and diving team will travel to the Baltimore-area this week to compete in the four-day America East Championships, Feb. 17-20. The first session of the five-team event will kickoff on Thursday, Feb. 17 at 5 p.m. and continue on through Sunday, Feb. 20. The championships will be hosted by UMBC at the Germantown Indoor Swim Center in Germantown, Maryland.

The men's program has endured three straight seasons of third-place finishes at the America East Championships after compiling four runners-up and a championship the previous five years. Chosen in the preseason to finish third, the Bearcats have their sights set on regaining its top position.

BU finished its dual meet season with a 5-4 record, including a victory over America East rival Stony Brook. The winning record marked the sixth time in the program's ten year history that the men finished above .500. Binghamton has former America East champions in its lineup which will prove vital against the likes of UMBC and Boston University who out scored the Bearcats by more than 250 points last year.

Senior Phil Dzieniszewski and junior Nolan Slesnick know what its like to touch first at the America East Championships and their leadership will be called upon during the four-day event. Dzieniszewski won the 50 free in 2007 and 2008 while Slesnick won the 400 IM and 1650 free in 2009.

The Binghamton men have a history of great individual performances at the America East Championships, but head coach Sean Clark will have to rely on a team effort if the Bearcats want to catch UMBC and Boston.

Point scorers from 2010 America East Championships: Slesnick, Jason Chen, Anthony Foiles, Joe Perez-Rogers, Tim Cabasino, Justin Mattison and Josh Saccurato. (Dzieniszewski in '07 and '08).

The following is a list of events (not in order) with Binghamton's top times of the 2010-11 season among the America East, Binghamton's swimmer personal best, top America East qualifier and America East record:

50 Free:
11. Phil Dzieniszewski: 21.61 (20.77) (champ in '07, '08)
12. Joe Perez-Rogers: 21.66 (21.10)
13. Jason Chen: 21.67 (same)
AE top qualifier: Daniel Kempf, Boston U. - 21.07
AE conference record: Kaan Tayla, Bing. - 20.00 (2006)

100 Free:
11. Jason Chen: 47.24 (46.98)
15. Joe Perez Rogers: 47.49 (same)
AE top qualifier: Lukasz Ochmanski, Stony Brook - 45.66
AE conference record: Kaan Tayla, Bing. - 43.68 (2006)

200 Free:
9. Jason Chen - 1:43.24 (1:41.23)
AE top qualifier: Eric Jones, UMBC - 1:40.06 (defending champ)
AE conference record: David Holmes, Bing. - 1:35.36 (2007)

500 Free:
10. Nolan Slesnick: 4:41.02 (4:30.45)
AE top qualifier: Pierre De Waal, UMBC - 4:33.18
AE conference record: David Holmes, Bing. - 4:22.80 (2007)

1650 Free:
4. Nolan Slesnick: 16:27.59 (15:41.03) (champ in '09)
AE top qualifier: Reed Neuendorf, UMBC - 16:07.13
AE conference record: Ryan Karrer, UMBC - 15:31.99 (2006)

100 Back:
3. Joe Perez-Rogers: 51.00 (50.41)
AE top qualifier: Johan Rohtla, UMBC - 49.96
AE conference record: Ivan Kopas, Stony Brook - 49.58 (2010)

200 Back:
6. Jason Chen: 1:52.47 (1:50.96)
AE top qualifier: Johan Rohtla, UMBC - 1:48.36
AE conference record: Ivan Kopas, Stony Brook - 1:46.28 (2010)

100 Breast:
8. Phil Dzieniszewski: 59.73 (58.26)
11. Tim Cabasino: 1:00.47 (same)
AE top qualifier: Kyle Ernst, Boston U. - 56.18 (defending champ)
AE conference record: Matt Mattingly, UMBC - 55.21 (2010)

200 Breast:
12. Josh Saccurato: 2:14.09 (same)
13. Andrew Ellman: 2:14.17 (2:11.09)
15. Colin Figus: 2:15.27 (same)
AE top qualifier: Kyle Ernst, Boston U. - 2:03.96 (defending champ)
AE conference record: Brenno Varanda, Bing - 2:00.63 (2009)

100 Butterfly:
6. Jason Chen: 51.12 (same)
7. Joe Perez-Rogers: 51.46 (same)
AE top qualifier: Matthew Rickett, Boston U. - 49.00 (two-time defending champ)
AE conference record: Matthew Rickett, Boston U. - 46.43 (2009)

200 Butterfly:
14. Josh Saccurato: 1:57.87 (1:54.24)
AE top qualifier: Pierre De Waal, UMBC - 1:50.49
AE conference record: David Holmes, Bing. - 1:46.70 (2007)

200 IM:
3. Jason Chen: 1:53.03 (1:52.58)
AE top qualifier: Kyle Ernst, Boston U. - 1:51.86
AE conference record: Brad Reitz, UMBC - 1:48.67 (2009)

400 IM:
14. Nolan Slesnick: 4:12.68 (3:56.23) (champ in '09)
AE top qualifier: Nikolas Astashinsky, Boston U. - 4:03.37
AE conference record: Tyson Slesnick, Boston U. - 3:53.16 (2010)

One-Meter Dive:
4. Anthony Foiles: 251.55 (252.10)
5. Justin Mattison: 248.02 (same)
AE top qualifier: Andrew Eckhoff, UMBC - 299.55
AE conference record: Andrew Watson, Boston U. - 660.45 (2009)

Three-Meter Dive:
4. Anthony Foiles: 262.88 (same)
AE top qualifier: Tanner Knorr, Boston U. - 305.48 (defending champ)
AE conference record: Andrew Watson, Boston U. - 631.60 (2009)

200 Free Relay:
4. Binghamton: 1:25.65
AE top qualifier: Boston U. - 1:22.70
AE conference record: Boston U. - 1:20.14 (2009)

400 Free Relay:
4. Binghamton: 3:10.13
AE top qualifier: Boston U. - 3:04.19
AE conference record: Boston U. - 2:57.72 (2009)

800 Free Relay:
3. Binghamton: 7:00.42
AE top qualifier: UMBC - 6:48.53
AE conference record: UMBC - 6:37.08 (2010)

200 Medley Relay:
2. Binghamton: 1:33.72
AE top qualifier: Boston U. - 1:32.35
AE conference record: Boston U. - 1:29.11 (2009)

400 Medley Relay:
3. Binghamton: 3:26.04
AE top qualifier: Boston U. - 3:22.13
AE conference record: Boston U. - 3:16.95 (2009)

2010-11 America East Preseason Poll

1. UMBC (3) - 15
2. Boston Univ. (2) - 14
3. Binghamton - 10
4. Stony Brook - 7
5. Maine - 4