SWIMMING AND DIVING AMERICA EAST PREVIEW

After months of rigorous training and dual meets, it all comes down to the America East Championships at Wallace Pool in Orono, Maine this weekend for the Binghamton swimming and diving teams. The three-and-a-half day meet begins on Thursday, February 14 and runs through Sunday, February 17.

"We are looking forward to it," second-year head swim coach Sean Clark said. "We are too focused and have put in too much hard work to not swim fast. We are going to swim fast. The team is excited and ready to give the best they have. IT'S TAPER TIME!"

WOMEN
The Bearcat women are budding with young talent and head into this week's championship meet determined to continue making great strides forward as a program.

"Our freshman class has transformed the program yet again," Clark said. "At last year's meet, we had our highest number of different point-scorers. This year the goal is to top that and have a record number of women return for evening swims."

Leading the Bearcats' youth movement is a talented group of fleet freshmen, headed by first-year swimmer Brittany Detlef (Rochester, N.Y.).

Detlef stepped in and made an immediate impact in her first collegiate season, recording a team-high six individual victories. She enters the meet seeded ninth in the 100-back, 11th in the 200-fly, and 14th in the 100-fly.

"Brittany has shown herself capable of big swims in both the fly and backstroke events," Clark said. "I am excited to see what she can do this weekend."

Joining Detlef are a number of talented freshmen highlighted by the duo of Danielle Gallo (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) and Lyndsi Worthington (Leawood, Kan.).

Gallo has stepped out as the team's top breaststroker and will look to score in both events this week. Worthington notched four victories during her first collegiate season and has potential to score points in both backstroke events.

Newcomers Nicole Sheridan (Garden City, N.Y.), Jordyn Kline (Amsterdam, N.Y.), and Kelsey Anderson (Penfield, N.Y.) have all made great contributions in the BU lineup this season and will be counted on to score in their respective disciplines.

Sophomore Allyce Brand (Highland Park, Ill.) continues the youth movement for the Bearcats. Last year's team MVP, Brand was the highest-placing Bearcat at last year's meet, finishing sixth in the 100-breast.

Senior tri-captain Nicole Sweeney (Commack, N.Y.) heads the remaining list of top returning point scorers.

Sweeney finished seventh in the mile, cutting 40 seconds off her career-best time at the 2007 conference meet. She was also a consolation finalist in the 200-fly, finishing 11th. As a senior, she is out to prove she can once again repeat those performances.

Classmates and fellow tri-captains Amanda Decker (Rhinebeck, N.Y.) and Bridget Dormer (Northport, N.Y.) also figure to contribute.

Decker looks to be a factor in the sprint events, while Dormer will look to build upon her 16th place finish in the 400 IM at the 2007 meet.

The sophomore duo of Taryn Ferrara (Morristown, N.J.) and Rita Brodfuehrer (Syracuse, N.Y.) should provide yet another source of points for BU. Ferrara recorded top-15 finishes in both the 50- and 100-free events at last year's meet. Brodfuehrer will look to score in both of the butterfly events.

A tenacious competitor, junior Heather Jennings (Ridge, N.Y.) returns as a solid contender in the IM and backstroke events.

The diving squad figures to make an impact with four potential finalists. Juniors Kate Hassfurter (Horseheads, N.Y.) and Kristin Maney (New Paltz, N.Y.) lead the Bearcat efforts on the one-meter and three-meter boards.

Hassfurter holds the Bearcat school record in the one-meter dive (248.77) and is second all-time in the three-meter event. She enters the championship holding the fifth and sixth seeds in the one- and three-meter dives, respectively. Hassfurter finished eighth in three-meter dive at 2007 AE meet.

Maney collected five individual wins on the season, including one in each of the team's final three dual meets. She enters the championships seeded seventh in both diving events.

Juniors Melanie Gelfand (Syosset, N.Y.) and freshman newcomer Elizabeth Esposito (Brooklyn, N.Y.) also figure to be in the mix for BU.

"The diving points will be essential," Clark said. "We have four excellent divers who can all score big. Kate holds our record in the one-meter, Kristin has been amazing this season vaulting up the all-time diving lists, and both Mel and Liz have excellent chances on both boards."

Binghamton will look to improve on its seventh-place finish at the 2006-07 America East Championships. BU posted a pair of dual meet victories this season, highlighted by its second straight victory over conference rival Stony Brook on January 16.

"It is going to be a fast meet on the women's side," Clark said. "There are a lot of quick freshman in the conference and there weren't too many graduations last year. Points will be tough to come by.

Despite the dual meet win, Clark knows his team will be hard-pressed trying to leap ahead of Stony Brook in the championship format.

"It will be an exciting meet at the top of the standings," Clark said. "We have our focus and expect to be competitive with our SUNY rivals. They have an outstanding championship squad. It will be a challenge, but we will give it all we have. You can bet on that."