Saturday, October 11
Boston, Mass.
1:30:00 PM
Lehigh University
at
Boston University
Lehigh swimming and diving to open 2014-15 season this weekend
10/9/2014 11:04:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Lehigh swimming and diving teams will commence their 2014-15 campaigns with two tough Patriot League matchups this weekend. The Mountain Hawks will travel to Massachusetts to take on Boston University Saturday and Holy Cross on Sunday.
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Head coach Rob Herb, who enters his 11th season with the team, isn't concerned about winning their first meet but has some goals he would like to see his team reach.
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"Early in the season we want to see people in shape, we want to be able to handle the first meet against BU, which will be a big challenge," said Herb. "We're not necessarily worried about winning that meet but we want to be competitive in everything we do."
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The women are coming off a terrific season in which they finished 7-2 overall and 3-2 in Patriot League competition. They will look to improve on a fifth place finish in the Patriot League Championships last year. They are led by four talented swimmers in seniors Kimberly Weyand, Madaleine Smith, junior Carolyn Koch, and sophomore Kaitlyn Ruffing. Coach Herb will rely on these four for not only their performance but their leadership. Â
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"We have leaders within each class, which makes a strong bond on this team," said Herb. "Each class has some really good leadership; we lead by counsel, not with captains."
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Ruffing is looking to follow up an impressive freshman season. She is the reigning Patriot League Champion in the 100 free. The Murrysville, Pa. native received first team All-Patriot League honors along with junior Courtney Patterson. Right before Ruffing won her title Patterson became the first Lehigh female in 11 years to win an individual Patriot League title as she captured gold in the 400 yard individual medley. Patterson was also named to the Academic All-League team.
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Lehigh returns four women who earned All-Patriot League honors with sophomore Cora Summerfield joining Ruffing, Patterson and and Koch. Summerfield scored 37 points at last year's Patriot League Championships, including a school record in the 200 yard butterfly. Koch will add to a strong core of sprinters on both the men's and women's teams. She reached the finals in both the 100 and 200 yard freestyle events at last year's championship meet.
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In addition to Weyand and Smith, school record-holding backstroker Alissa Leung and butterfly record holder Mary Caitlin Samuels comprise the senior class. Another returnee who sits on the school record board is sophomore Kelly Carroll, who owns the school mark in the 200 IM.
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Eight freshmen also join the women's team, including Emily Speakman, who will represent the women in diving. The Mountain Hawks were ranked fifth in the Patriot League preseason poll.
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The Lehigh men ended last year at 6-4 with a 3-2 league record. The men also finished fifth at the Patriot League Championships. Seniors Sean Brant and Danny Bennett, junior Matt Carducci, and sophomore Justin White will anchor the squad from a guidance perspective this year. Herb believes that his core of sophomores will strongly contribute to their best events this year.
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"The sprint events are going to be our strongest, our fastest kids will probably be sophomore Jamal Willis, along with some others." said Herb. "Our distance events will be strong as well; we'll be returning sophomore Jacob Moyar."
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Willis is returning from an outstanding freshman season where he took home second team All-Patriot League honors and tied the school record in the 50 free. Moyar collected first team All-Patriot League honors as freshman and also garnered Lehigh's Swimming Male Outstanding Athlete of 2014. Moyar holds four school records in the 500 Free (4:28.89), 400 IM (3:56.63), 200 Fly (1:48.74), and the 800 Free Relay (6:44.25).
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Sophomore Kevin Huntley is another returing record holder for the Mountain Hawks. Huntley set a school mark in the 200 yard breaststroke at the Patriot League Championships.
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Senior Dan Bateman will lead the men on the diving boards, while the remainder of the senior class includes Chris Campbell, Owen Dunbar, Jake Greene, Tim Parsons, Eric Sherwood and Mike Wheaton. Herb has also added five freshmen to the swimming mix. The men were ranked fifth in the Patriot League preseason polls.
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The dual meet season is highlighted by a showdown against archrival Lafayette, which will take place at Lehman College in the Bronx, N.Y. on November 21. Lehigh swept its archrival for the sixth straight season last year and will look to extend the streak in the annual rivalry meet. The schedule features four home dates with Lehigh hosting West Chester and Rider (October 24-25), Army (January 9) and Drexel (January 31).
Â
Although Coach Herb and the Mountain Hawks have goals set for the regular season, the ultimate goal is perform well at the Patriot League Championships.
Â
"At the end of the season, the Patriot League Championships is our ultimate goal," Herb said. Â "We have a couple stepping stones in between there but really the bottom line is to have everyone focus on the Patriot League championships."
Â
The Patriot League Championships are scheduled for February 18-21 at Bucknell's Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg, Pa.
Â
This weekend Lehigh will compete against Boston University Saturday at 1:30 p.m. before stopping at Holy Cross on Sunday for an 11 a.m. meet.
Â
Story by Zion Olojede '18
Â
Head coach Rob Herb, who enters his 11th season with the team, isn't concerned about winning their first meet but has some goals he would like to see his team reach.
Â
"Early in the season we want to see people in shape, we want to be able to handle the first meet against BU, which will be a big challenge," said Herb. "We're not necessarily worried about winning that meet but we want to be competitive in everything we do."
Â
The women are coming off a terrific season in which they finished 7-2 overall and 3-2 in Patriot League competition. They will look to improve on a fifth place finish in the Patriot League Championships last year. They are led by four talented swimmers in seniors Kimberly Weyand, Madaleine Smith, junior Carolyn Koch, and sophomore Kaitlyn Ruffing. Coach Herb will rely on these four for not only their performance but their leadership. Â
Â
"We have leaders within each class, which makes a strong bond on this team," said Herb. "Each class has some really good leadership; we lead by counsel, not with captains."
Â
Ruffing is looking to follow up an impressive freshman season. She is the reigning Patriot League Champion in the 100 free. The Murrysville, Pa. native received first team All-Patriot League honors along with junior Courtney Patterson. Right before Ruffing won her title Patterson became the first Lehigh female in 11 years to win an individual Patriot League title as she captured gold in the 400 yard individual medley. Patterson was also named to the Academic All-League team.
Â
Lehigh returns four women who earned All-Patriot League honors with sophomore Cora Summerfield joining Ruffing, Patterson and and Koch. Summerfield scored 37 points at last year's Patriot League Championships, including a school record in the 200 yard butterfly. Koch will add to a strong core of sprinters on both the men's and women's teams. She reached the finals in both the 100 and 200 yard freestyle events at last year's championship meet.
Â
In addition to Weyand and Smith, school record-holding backstroker Alissa Leung and butterfly record holder Mary Caitlin Samuels comprise the senior class. Another returnee who sits on the school record board is sophomore Kelly Carroll, who owns the school mark in the 200 IM.
Â
Eight freshmen also join the women's team, including Emily Speakman, who will represent the women in diving. The Mountain Hawks were ranked fifth in the Patriot League preseason poll.
Â
The Lehigh men ended last year at 6-4 with a 3-2 league record. The men also finished fifth at the Patriot League Championships. Seniors Sean Brant and Danny Bennett, junior Matt Carducci, and sophomore Justin White will anchor the squad from a guidance perspective this year. Herb believes that his core of sophomores will strongly contribute to their best events this year.
Â
"The sprint events are going to be our strongest, our fastest kids will probably be sophomore Jamal Willis, along with some others." said Herb. "Our distance events will be strong as well; we'll be returning sophomore Jacob Moyar."
Â
Willis is returning from an outstanding freshman season where he took home second team All-Patriot League honors and tied the school record in the 50 free. Moyar collected first team All-Patriot League honors as freshman and also garnered Lehigh's Swimming Male Outstanding Athlete of 2014. Moyar holds four school records in the 500 Free (4:28.89), 400 IM (3:56.63), 200 Fly (1:48.74), and the 800 Free Relay (6:44.25).
Â
Sophomore Kevin Huntley is another returing record holder for the Mountain Hawks. Huntley set a school mark in the 200 yard breaststroke at the Patriot League Championships.
Â
Senior Dan Bateman will lead the men on the diving boards, while the remainder of the senior class includes Chris Campbell, Owen Dunbar, Jake Greene, Tim Parsons, Eric Sherwood and Mike Wheaton. Herb has also added five freshmen to the swimming mix. The men were ranked fifth in the Patriot League preseason polls.
Â
The dual meet season is highlighted by a showdown against archrival Lafayette, which will take place at Lehman College in the Bronx, N.Y. on November 21. Lehigh swept its archrival for the sixth straight season last year and will look to extend the streak in the annual rivalry meet. The schedule features four home dates with Lehigh hosting West Chester and Rider (October 24-25), Army (January 9) and Drexel (January 31).
Â
Although Coach Herb and the Mountain Hawks have goals set for the regular season, the ultimate goal is perform well at the Patriot League Championships.
Â
"At the end of the season, the Patriot League Championships is our ultimate goal," Herb said. Â "We have a couple stepping stones in between there but really the bottom line is to have everyone focus on the Patriot League championships."
Â
The Patriot League Championships are scheduled for February 18-21 at Bucknell's Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg, Pa.
Â
This weekend Lehigh will compete against Boston University Saturday at 1:30 p.m. before stopping at Holy Cross on Sunday for an 11 a.m. meet.
Â
Story by Zion Olojede '18
Players Mentioned
Dive
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Distance
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Back
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Fly
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Back/Fly
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free/Fly/IM
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Distance
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Breast/IM
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free/Fly
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Back
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free/Fly/IM
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Distance Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Fly
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Dive
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Breast/IM
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
Free
/ Men's Swimming and Diving2025 Brown & Flight - Episode 1
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