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"Everything on a roll"! is a saying made famous by counter workers at Delis throughout New York City and it is the perfect description for Columbia Swimming and Diving in the new millennium. "Ever since the 99-2000 season we have had tremendous success", notes head coach Jim Bolster. "To be honest with you we really have been on a roll, but I think the best is yet to come".
If the best is anything comparable to the first three years of the millennium watch out! Since 99-2000 the Lions have established seventeen school records and produced eight individual EISL Champions and one relay crown. With only fourteen points lost to graduation Bolster feels the 2002-2003 group is poised to take the program to new levels. "We have a terrific opportunity before us," notes the coach. "We have the chance to move up another place or two in the league standings, to continue our four year streak of having at least one EISL Champion, to set more school records and to win more dual meets. All of these goals are realistic and we should have a great time going after them".
With seventeen-point producers from last year's championship meet returning and the addition of thirteen freshmen and one transfer the Lions appear to have the ingredients for a highly successful campaign. Julien Howe, the Light Blue's lone senior, will serve as captain. Howe, a three-year letter-winner and EISL scorer, "has been a quiet yet steadying force", according to Bolster. "Every program goes through growth spurts that include good times and bad. You look for athletes who despite the up and downs never waiver in their attitude, discipline, dedication and work ethic. Julien is one of those kinds of guys. I am confident he will do a masterful job with the team this year".
In college dual meets there are more freestyle events than any other stroke. With five individual races and one relay it is crucial that a team have a talented crew of freestylers. For the first time in several years the Lions look to have the talent and depth in all of the distances to score some big points. A pair of juniors and sophomores will be the driving force behind the Lion's distance crew. Mike Bazylewicz (4.31.09/9:23.84/15:47) and Nick Clements (4:38.02/9:35.54/16:04.30) both of whom scored in all three of their events at last years championships will carry much of the scoring load, but they should receive plenty of support from Joe Englander and John Filbey. The two sophomores each scored at last years EISL meet and should continue their development. "I enjoy this group", volunteers Bolster. "They are hard working and they have all improved significantly each year. We will be counting on our distance men to get every dual meet off to a good beginning".
Junior Chris Guerin and sophomore Ben Collins will handle the middle distance races. "These two swimmers are versatile and can and will swim other events, but it is crucial that we have them come through in the 200 free," explains coach Bolster. Collins (1:41.80) and Guerin (1:42.20) teamed up with Bazylewicz and Clements to take sixth place in the 800 free relay at the 2002 EISL meet. The level of their relay performances is what the team will be looking for this year. "Swimmers in our league swim fast 200 races all year," observes Bolster. "We need Chris and Ben and anyone else who might swim the event to be at the league level all year, we cannot afford to wait until we are rested and shaved to swim fast in this event."
Swimming should not be a problem for the sprinters. All three of the Lions top speed merchants including juniors Reid Evans and Scott Ingram and sophomore sensation Nick Kaluk. The trio all scored in the 50 free at last years EISL meet. Kaluk (20.76) was the lone Lion in the top eight but Evans (20.97) and Ingram (21.06) were not far behind. In the 100 free, Evans (45.37) snagged the consolation finals title while Kaluk (45.72) finished fourteenth and Ingram (46.54) turned in a lifetime best. "This threesome should earn some major points for us at both the dual and championship meet levels," acknowledges Bolster. "They are a fun group to work with and we think there is plenty of speed to develop.
The 2002-2003 team will have an abundance of backstrokers providing a degree of talent and depth that the Lions have lacked in recent years. The key man will be Evans. The 2002 EISL Champion in the 100 back (49.68) will seek to defend his title in 2003. "Reid has the ability to win again," claims Bolster. "We also think he can achieve at the NCAA level but we will take it one step at a time". Evans will have plenty of support in the capable hands of Howe and sophomores Mark Backman and Andrew DiMichele. Backman (52.07) and Howe (53.34) scored in the 100 backstroke at the championships while Backman (153.21) and DiMichele (156.39) scored in the 200. "We have a solid group", announces Bolster. "Mark and Andrew in particular had some significant improvement last year; if we get that kind of result again this year we should be alright."
One junior and three sophomores will comprise the breaststroking unit for coach Jim Bolster. Guerin (57.95) is the fastest of the four and should lead the group. "Chris had a phenomenal EISL meet," states the coach. "He stepped up his level of performance and provided us with some great individual and relay performances." Patrick Dunn, one of the sophomores dropped over three seconds in his 100 breast during the course of the season and could be a nice surprise for the Lions. "Patrick is gifted physically, if we can wed his physical tools with his technical aspects with the stroke he can be really fast," says Bolster. The two others sophomores, Mike Bentley and Mike Emory will focus more on the 200 breast. "Both of these guys were tremendous assets last year," begins Bolster. We felt our breaststroke contingent might be a little weak at the start of last year, but these two came to the rescue." Indeed, as both scored at the championships with Emery (2:07.22) capturing twelfth place while Bentley (2:06.86) finished seventeenth.
Similar to the backstroke unit, the fly corps has a plethora of talent and depth that is sophomore-laden. Backman, Collins, DiMichele, Ryan Gaglio and Syd Wolfe all second years will see considerable action. Along with Evans and captain Howe. Collins (1:50.44) and Wolfe (1:52.12) were the stud tandem a year ago in the 200 event and will be counted on again this season. "We would not be surprised if they both broke our school record," reports Bolster. "They are that talented." Howe and DiMichele saw much action in the 200 as well and will be asked to produce again, meanwhile Backman, Evans and Gaglio, more sprint fliers, will help in the relays and 100 fly. "With so many fliers, we will have the chance to vary our line-up without compromising other events," says Bolster. "This should make us stronger at the dual meet level."
School record holder Ben Collins will be the Lions top gun. After a spectacular first year campaign in which he was voted Most Outstanding Freshman, Collins is hungry to do even better. His second place finish (3:54.26) in the 400 IM was the Lions' swim of the meet and the highest placing of any freshman. "Ben is a terrific talent," cites the coach. "We expect that he will do even better this year." Collins alone can carry the Lions; enter Bentley (4:05.58) and Emory (4:08.17). Both were EISL scores in the 400 IM finishing thirteenth and twenty-first respectively. "The two Mike's are tough competitors," emphasizes Bolster. "They had a huge impact on many a dual meet last year with their versatility and their desire to race. We expect more of the same this year."
Lion foursomes were an integral part of the teams overall success last year. "At our championship meet it was not one relay in which we were seeded any higher than eighth," declares Bolster. "Yet we took three, sixth place finishes, one fifth place and one fourth." The outlook for this year should be even brighter because the Lions return all five relays completely in tact. Evans, Ingram, Guerin and Kaluk, the high-speed talents behind the four sprint relays are all back and hungry to improve. Collins, who teamed up with Guerin, Bazylewicz and Clements in the 800 free relay gained valuable experience in this event at the 2002 Summer Nationals and should be even more of a force in 2003. "Our relays will be exciting to watch this year, especially at the championship meet where we feel several of our teams will compete for the league title," outlines Bolster.
All Ivy diver Scott Troob and hardworking sophomore Aaron Farber are back and that means Columbia Diving is in good hands. "It would be nice to have a third diver," points out diving Gordon Spencer. "But I am quite comfortable with Scott and Aaron." And why not? Both scored at last years championships meet and both improved over the summer. Troob, who finished fifth and third in the one and three meter events, his freshman year, did one better in 2002 by taking fourth and second respectively. Farber, a relative newcomer to the sport last year also did well in the championships. He finished twentieth in the one meter and twenty-first in the three meter. Together, the two will contribute significantly to the Lions' quest to improve their overall dual meet record and their final EISL Championship meet standing.