University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Swimming & Diving Teams Open Season At BU
October 16, 2008 | Men's Swimming & Diving
Oct. 16, 2008
Amherst, Mass. - The UMass men's and women's swim teams will head to Boston this Saturday, Oct. 18, to begin their 2008-09 season, and quest for further success at the A-10 Championships. The teams will take on the Boston University Terriers at Competition Pool located on the BU campus.
The women, who finished fourth at A-10s last season, will look to improve their 11-10-1 all-time record against BU on Saturday and kick off the season with a victory. The Minutewomen will look to their great depth all across the pool as well as to their senior captains to lead the way for them this season.
This year's captains include Christa Narus (Stony Brook, N.Y.), a top-finisher in the butterfly events last season, and one of the better fliers in the conference. Jackie Porter (Holliston, Mass.), who has been a top, consistent finisher in the IMs and breaststroke over her three-year career while Cecilia Jenkins (Acton, Mass.) will look to lead the sprinters and compete with Porter in the butterfly events for top finishes. Finally, the 2008 A-10 Diver of the Year Karen Upperco (Titusville, N.J.) will captain the women's diving team; she has been one of the best divers in UMass history and competed at the NCAA Regionals after setting the new Atlantic 10 record in the 1-meter dive with a score of 520.60 at the A-10 Championships.
Sophomore diver Anne Fogerty (Allentown, Pa.) will also be an important piece to this year's diving team as she returns after becoming not only the A-10 Champion three-meter diver, but she now also holds the A-10 record in the event after notching a score of 568.15 as a freshman last season.
Though the Minutewomen graduated two of their top finishers from last season in Allison Volpe and Samantha Demty, they left behind an experienced team that is looking to get back to the top spots, where they were two years ago.
"I'm really impressed with this group as a whole and can't wait to see what they are going to do," says head coach Bob Newcomb, "We've got a lot of people that can do a lot of different things and that makes it easier to move around so it doesn't become where you swim the same event in every meet. It gives you the opportunity to swim some different things because we have other people who can step up and compete."
The men's team is also looking to improve their all-time record against the Terriers, which now stands at 31-4. After winning the A-10s for the tenth time last season, the Minutemen will set out to chase their 11th A-10 Championship beginning Saturday. Also a deep team this season, the Minutemen too have numerous competitors in each event which is, as head coach Russ Yarworth says, "key to building a championship team" especially after losing top finishers and captains such as Zach Priest, A.J. Vozella and the A-10 Diver of the Year RJ Rappe.
This year the team will be led by seniors Brad Sloan (Shrewsbury, Mass.), Nate Bromage (Palmer, Mass.), and Byron Johnson (Taunton, Mass.). Bromage returns this year as the defending 100 fly champion and a top sprinter while Sloan continues to be a go-to for a top finish in the distance events. Johnson has taken over the leadership role for the men's diving team after training and competing with A-10 record holding diver, Rappe, for the past three years.
Though the Minutemen look poised to make another run at a conference title, but coach Yarworth thinks they will have their work cut out for them at the beginning of the season. "Looking at the schedule, I think our first two meets; facing BU and Army are going to be really tough. I'm not sure how we'll do there, they always come in loaded and ready against us."
Junior sprinter and Atlantic 10 Champion Juan Moliere (Guaynabo, PR) will also be someone the Minutemen look to for leadership, as well as top finishes. Moliere finished first in the 50 free event at the A-10 Championships last season, while also swimming the final leg of the 400 medley relay event, helping them for a first place finish as well.
The season starts for the men's and women's swimming and diving team Saturday, Oct. 18, the meet will begin at 1:30 p.m. in Boston, Mass.