NEAC Swimming & Diving Preseason Polls Announced
The North Eastern Athletic Conference released its 2016-17 preseason coaches polls for men’s and women’s swimming on Friday, Sept. 30. Wells was voted third in the women’s swimming preseason poll among five conference teams. The Express men’s team, defending NEAC champion, was picked second among four teams.
For the women’s swimming team, the trio of sophomore Courtney Cloutier, senior Gina Ross-Detro, and junior Kaitlyn Schwend are among the top returners from last year’s squad. The three swimmers tallied a combined 14 All-Conference selections en route to helping the Express finish as the NEAC Championship Runner-Up. Cloutier accounted for five of those honors with three individual championships and a pair of second-place finishes, which helped her be selected as the 2015-16 NEAC Rookie of the Year. The trio also helped the Express place first in the 400-yard medley relay championship event last season.
The men’s swimming team, led by 2015-16 NEAC Co-Coach of the Year Patricia George, will enter the season as the defending NEAC Champions following 23 All-Conference placements a year ago. The Express will see the return of junior Owen May who garnered six All-Conference selections that included an individual championship in the 1,650-yard freestyle event. Sophomore Austin Heil also returns following six All-Conference honors that were split between three individual events and three relay races. Junior Arthur Brooks who also split his four all-conference nods between two individual and two relay events, also returns for the Express.
The Wells College swimming teams have already began practicing in preparation for the 2016-17 season. The first meet will take place Oct. 15 at the Hartwick Relays. The first home meet is Nov. 5 against Utica College.
The three-day 2016-17 NEAC Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships will be hosted by Cazenovia College on Feb. 10-12, 2017, where all four men’s teams and five women’s teams will compete for the conference title. NEAC All-Conference honors are awarded to any of the swimmers or divers that finish in the top three for each of the events taking place throughout the championships. First Team honors are awarded to the first-place finishers for each event, while the Second and Third Team selections consist of the second- and third-place finishers.
2016-17 NEAC Women’s Swimming & Diving Preseason Poll
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1. Cazenovia College (3), 24 points
2. SUNY Cobleskill* (2), 20 points
3. Wells College*, 20 points
4. Cedar Crest College, 12 points
5. Gallaudet University, 4 points
*Tie broken by higher ordinal number points
2016-17 NEAC Men’s Swimming & Diving Preseason Poll
(First-place votes in parentheses)
1. SUNY Cobleskill (3), 15 points
2. Wells College (1), 11 points
3. Gallaudet University, 7 points
4. Cazenovia College, 3 points