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Women’s Swimming Sets Sights High for 2009-10
After the best year in program history, the Stevens Institute of Technology women’s swimming team has its sights set on an even better campaign in 2009-10. The Ducks will return a strong group of swimmers and Head Swimming Coach Trevor Miele (New York, N.Y.) has brought in several extremely talented newcomers to make an already deep team, even deeper. The Ducks finished 11th nationally and second at both the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference and Empire 8 Championships one year ago so the bar has been set high.
Stevens will be led by senior captains Rachel Marcuson (Mississauga, Canada) and Stephanie Miller (Bellbrook, Ohio). Both have been four-year contributors to the team and should score valuable points at the ECAC and Empire 8 Championships, and possibly the NCAA Championships. Marcuson has been steadily improving since her freshman season in 2006-07 and should earn the Ducks points in individual medley and freestyle events. Miller swam at the 2009 NCAA Championships and played a huge part in the Ducks’ 11th-place finish. She was an honorable mention All-American and holds two individual school-records. She is also a part of two record-holding relay teams.
“Both captains are ideal leaders in and out of the pool,” Miele said. “They lead by their actions but also lead by the way they carry themselves around campus and each brings something different to the table.”
One other senior on the squad is Gabrielle Czernik (Wanaque, N.J.). Czernik holds the school-record in the 400-yard individual medley and was on the second-team all-conference 400-yard medley relay team.
Highlighting the junior class is Laura Barito (Arkadelphia, Ark.). Barito is a huge reason the Ducks had such a successful 2008-09 season. She took seventh in the 50-free at the NCAA Championships and left the event as a two-time All-American and a five-time honorable mention All-American. Barito holds the 50- and 100- yard freestyle school-records and is a part of all five Stevens record-holding relay teams.
Amanda Nauman (Mission Viejo, Calif.) is another junior that will continue to make a large impact for the Ducks. Nauman just missed going to the NCAA’s in several distance events after swimming well at the ECAC Empire 8 Champinships. She holds school-bests in the 1000- and 1650-yard freestyle events and hopes to continue cutting down her times as she moves through her junior season.
Three athletes highlight Miele’s sophomore class in NCAA Championship participants Hayley Hatfield (Dallas, Texas), Sian Pearson (Foothill Ranch, Calif.), and Andrea Sturniolo (Medina, Ohio). Empire 8 Rookie of the Year Cailin Grunewald (New Windsor, N.Y.) will also figure into the Ducks’ success. Hatfield swims sprint-freestyle events and was part of the 200- and 400-yard freestyle record-holding relay teams. She was an honorable mention All-American in the 200-yard freestyle relay and earned an All-America nod in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Pearson, who swims freestyle and butterfly events, had a huge impact through the 2008-09 season. She was an honorable mention All-American at the NCAA Championships and holds school-marks in the 200- and 400-yard freestyle events. Sturniolo also competed at the NCAA’s, earning honorable mention All-America honors in the 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams. Grunewald won the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year award and earned All-America honors for her performance on the 400-yard freestyle relay team as well as honorable mention All-America accolades in the 200- and 800-yard freestyle relays at the NCAA Championships.
“I expect bigger and better things for all of our returning athletes,” added Miele. “Everyone has been training extremely well early on and if that continues I think good things await our team.”
In addition to the talented group of veterans, Miele has infused his squad with another great group of freshman. Several standouts include Victoria Baldwin (The Woodlands, Texas) and Marissa Douglas (Cumberland, R.I.). Baldwin has shown great ability in the distance events and will provide some much-needed depth in that area and Douglas is a versatile swimmer that will help the team in a variety of areas.
Alexandra Coffaro (Gig Harbor, Wash.) and Allison Henning (Idaho Falls, Idaho) will be both be immediate contributors in the sprint events. Coffaro has also shown great ability in the butterfly events.
“We have a strong team, top to bottom,” said Miele. “I expect the program to continue on the upward trend we have been on and contend for an Empire 8 and ECAC Championship.”
Stevens will open its season at the De Baun Aquatic Center on Saturday, October 17 against Montclair State University in one of four home meets this season. The Ducks will visit New York University the following weekend before coming back to Hoboken to host The College of New Jersey on November 1 and Misericordia University on November 14. Following competition at the Golden Bear Invitational in Kutztown, PA, Stevens will take 13 days to prepare for its first championship meet of the season, the ECAC Championships December 4-6 in East Meadow, N.Y.
After winter break, the Ducks will head to Aruba for a nine-day training trip. The Ducks return home to host Rowan University in their final home meet of the season on January 16th. They will visit SUNY New Paltz to wrap-up the dual-meet season on January 30.
Stevens will begin its run at the first Empire 8 title in program history on February 18. The three-day event will wrap-up on February 20, at which time Stevens will find out which athletes will be swimming at the NCAA Championships in Minneapolis, Minn. March 17-20.
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