University of Massachusets Athletics
Men's Swimming Welcomes Nine Newcomers For 2010-2011
May 03, 2010 | Men's Swimming & Diving
May 3, 2010
AMHERST, Mass. - UMass men's swimming team announced that it will welcome nine new freshman to the 2010-2011 squad. The Minutemen will be looking to replace holes left by five departing seniors, as the team is coming off their fourth-straight Atlantic 10 Championship, and the 11th in 12 years. These nine new freshmen are in addition to Chris Inglis and Derek Hursch, who signed National Letters of Intent in the fall.
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Hursch, a Rochell Park, N.Y. native, is a four-time Bergen County High School Champion and holds two county records, in the 200 free and 500 free. He made Junior National cuts in the 200 meter free and the 400 meter free. Hursch also made the US Open cut in the 800 meter free. Inglis, from Mashpee, Mass. will come to UMass as a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American in 2008-09 and a USA Swimming Winter Junior National Qualifier in 2009. He placed third in the New England 15-19 age group championships. Inglis later placed sixth at the July 2009 New England Open Championships
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The latest commitments include two Massachusetts natives, beginning with Matthew Grippo. A four-time Western Massachusetts All-Scholastic selection, Grippo was captain of the Longmeadow High School squad and holds four school records. The 2010 Western Mass champion in both the 500 free and 100 back also competed with USA Swimming, where he was a three-time first-place overall finisher in the 15-19 Connecticut USA age group. From just up the road in Northampton, Jake Wingfield will also be joining the Minutemen. Wingfield was the Western Mass Senior High Point Award Winner, recording best times in the 100 fly of 53.38 and the 200 fly of 1:58.62.
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The Minutemen will add six out-of-state recruits, beginning with Michael DiMarco, coming to Amherst from Nazareth, Pa. DiMarco was a short course National qualifier in the 100 breaststroke in 2010, while also finishing fourth in 100 breaststroke and sixth in the 200 breaststroke at sectionals. DiMarco has personal best times of 56.98 in the 100 breaststroke and 2:05.93 in the 200 breaststroke.
Making the furthest trip is Nolan Gardner from Lompoc, Calif. Gardner swam for Santa Barbara Swim Club and Dos Pueblos High School, where he was team captain and league champion in the 50 free, 100 free, and both the 200 free relay and 400 free relay. Andrew Thurston comes to the team from Berlin High School. Thurston was a four-year All-State and four-year All-Conference performer.
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Southland, Tex. native Andrew Goss, will add some depth to the Minuteman relays. Goss was named an All-American in both the 400 and 200 freestyle relays, coming in fourth in the state with a split of 47.00 in the 400, and second in the state with a split of 21.5 in the 200. He was also named an NISCA and USA Swimming Academic All-American in 2010 while captaining the swim team at Carroll Senior High School.
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Six-foot-five Leon Gunzl comes to Amherst from Burlington, Conn., where he was a three-time All-State performer, just missing All-American honors in the 100 backstroke and 50 freestyle where he recorded personal best times of 53.24 and 21.78 respectively last season.
Twelve-time YMCA All-American, Jordan Guttrich, joins the Minutemen from Davison, Mich. Guttrich swam for the Greater Flint YMCA Falcons for 11 years, and has personal best times in the 200 free of 1:43.90, 100 back of 52.54 and the 200 IM of 1:56.10. Rounding out the recruiting class is Troy Nichols of Clifton Park, N.Y. Nichols was captain of the Shenendehowa High School swim team, where he was a three-time state champion in the 400 free relay, while also finishing third in the New York State Public High School meet in the 200 free with a school-record time of 1:41.03.