University of Massachusets Athletics
Men's Swimming Announces 2003-04 Recruits
May 13, 2003 | Men's Swimming & Diving
May 13, 2003
AMHERST, Mass. -- University of Massachusetts head men's swimming and diving coach Russ Yarworth announced the addition of 10 recruits to next year's squad. The Minutemen lost 10 seniors from last season's team that captured its third straight A-10 Championship title and the sixth in the last eight years.
Yarworth got an early lead on molding next year's team when he signed local swimmer, Greg Chartier (Amherst, Mass.) during the early signing period in the fall. Chartier won both the 100-yard freestyle and the 200-yard individual medley at the 2003 Massachusetts State Championships.
During the spring Yarworth added Derek Castellana (Bedford, Mass.), Mike Cordes (Highland Lakes, N.J.) and Gordon Leonard (Cinnaminson, N.J.) to the Minuteman squad. Castellana has been one of the top club swimmers in New England and specializes in the butterfly and freestyle events, while Cordes and Leonard have been top-ranked New Jersey high school swimmers, as well as participants in the YMCA National Championship. Cordes was a member of three YMCA National Championship relay teams while representing the Lakeland Hills YMCA last April in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Leonard, the captain of his high school team, placed fourth at the N.J. State Championships in the 50-yard freestyle.
Also joining the Minuteman squad will be Scott Mendell (Mountain Lakes, N.J.), Evan Swisher (N. Bennington, Vt.) and Jake Hogue (Grand Junction, Colo.). Mendell is a top distance swimmer and backstroker out of the New Jersey YMCA league, while Swisher specializes in the individual medley and backstroke events. Yarworth expects that Hogue will bring more depth to the IM events and also compete in the breaststroke for the defending A-10 champions.
Two Pennsylvania high school standouts will round out UMass' freshman class. Andrew Pokorney-Campbell (Gladwyne, Pa.) was the Athlete of the Year at Harriton High School and will bring depth to the freestyle events while Mike Herald (Chambersburg, Pa.), adds strength to the butterfly and sprint events.
Besides the addition of nine freshman, Yarworth will also be welcoming transfer Justin Zeimitz, who will be eligible to compete in the second semester of next season. Zeimitz is a former New Hampshire high school state champion in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle and previously competed for Missouri.