Oct. 14, 2005
NORFOLK, VA--The Old Dominion University swimming and diving squad kicks off their 2005-06 campaign this Saturday as they host the Towson Tigers at the JC "Scrap' Chandler swimming pool in the ODU Fieldhouse. The women's 400 medley relay kicks off the events at 1:00 p.m.
The team remains home next weekend, as they host a tri-meet with VMI and Radford.
2005-06 Season Preview
After a promising end to the 2004-2005 season, the Old Dominion University swimming and diving team has set the bar even higher for this upcoming year. The men's team finished 3rd in the CAA a year ago, and are expected to challenge for the title in 2005-2006. The Lady Monarchs have added several talented newcomers who they expect will propel the squad into CAA contention this season. Last year's men's swimming CAA Coach of the Year Carol Withus enters her 13th season behind the wheel of the ODU swimming program.
ODU men's swimming team welcomes six seniors, and will look for their mix of senior leadership, newcomer talent, and overall versatility to lead them to the Colonial Athletic Association championship in 2005-06. Seniors Tyler Haverty (Virginia Beach, VA) and Nate Tschohl (Chesapeake, VA) have been selected as team captains, and are being counted on to score high in the sprint, IM, distance, and butterfly events. Tschohl is a versatile swimmer who has been selected as the Team MVP for two consecutive seasons now. Sophomore Patrik Balint (Budapest, Hungary), last year's CAA Rookie of the Year and first place overall finalist in points at the CAA Championships, is another versatile competitor who is expected to achieve many more milestones in his Monarch career.
Newcomer Kristian Ramkvist (Nykoping, Sweden) will be a key performer in several different events for ODU. Brothers Daniel and Johan Lundberg (Fjaras, Sweden) should assist the squad in the freestyle and butterfly events. Freshman Brad Worrell (Castries, St. Lucia) represented his country in the 2005 World Championships, and will be an asset in the sprint and freestyle competitions.
Senior Nick Tschohl (Chesapeake, VA) and Junior Noah Scully (Virginia Beach, VA) bring experience and ability to the Monarch diving squad. Both competitors earned numerous top-5 performances in 2004-05 and are expected to score even higher this season. Peter Stickl is a newcomer who will be a pleasant addition to the diving squad.
On the women's side, the Lady Monarchs remain a young team with only three seniors, but have used their years as being a young team to develop their new players and create a lot of depth. Junior Lauren Timby (Rochester, NY) has been selected as Team MVP two consecutive years now, and will continue to be a major factor in the distance and freestyle events. Senior Liane Publow (Las Vegas, NV) and Junior Bonnie Brezinksy were selected as team captains. Publow is expected to contribute in butterfly and IM swims, and Brezinksy in the breaststroke and IM. Senior Lisa Rushfeldt (Palm Beach Gardens, Fl) is a solid competitor in the fly and free events. Sophomore Diana Hurst (Richmond, VA) is a transfer from Towson who should bring versatility to the Lady Monarchs this season. She is expected to compete in distance, freestyle, IM, and backstroke events.
Freshmen Emily Smidlein (The Woodlands, TX), Jennifer Sargent (Chesterfield, VA), and Bebe Abraham (Chambery, France) are just a few members of a solid freshman class that Withus has brought in to bolster the Lady Monarchs' depth. Smidlein and Abraham should help out in the freestyle events, while Sargent should contribute in the breaststroke. Freshman Jasmine Moore will be the Lady Monarchs diver, and there are high hopes that she can be productive immediately.
With ODU sporting an intriguing mixture of veteran leadership and newcomer potential, challenges to the CAA crown by both the men's and women's squads look to be a distinct possibility in 2005-06. The men came close to the title a year ago, and with a core group of talented competitors still intact, a championship trophy is within reach.