2019-20 NEAC Women's Swimming & Diving Season Preview
LATHAM, N.Y. – Five women's swimming and diving teams from the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) are ready for the start of a new season, with the first competition commencing this weekend. The Wells women's swimming team finished runner-up last season in the NEAC Championships with 470 points to Cazenovia College, who is the five-time defending NEAC Champions. The Wildcats won 11 championship events at last season's championship to take the team title with 595 points.
Wells College
Head Coach: Trish George, 15th season
2018-19 Record: 5-6, 2-1 NEAC
2018-19 Postseason: 2nd at NEAC Championship
Key Returners/Players to Watch: Caitlin Lawrence, Hailey Onofre, Shannon Simmons
Key Losses: Courtney Cloutier
Coach's Season Outlook: The women's team has a great incoming class to go along with injured swimmers from last season that are now able to compete. I am excited to see what each swimmer will be able to accomplish.
Schedule link: https://www.wells-express.com/sports/wswim/2019-20/schedule
Cazenovia College
Head Coach: Bill Houser, 12th season
2018-19 Record: 6-4, 3-0 NEAC
2018-19 Postseason: 1st at NEAC Championship
Key Returner/Player to Watch: Amy Bubb, Erin Hankins, Riley Lanckton, Caprice Yost
Key Losses: Cassondra Henry, Katherine Meehan, Jenni Uplinger
Coach's Season Outlook: The Wildcats are coming off their fifth consecutive NEAC Championship and look to make a splash again this year. Although they had some major losses to graduation (Jenni Uplinger. Madison Adams, and Cassondra Henry), and with the addition of a talented freshman class and a seasoned team of veterans, the Wildcats look to remain competitive in the conference and look forward to defending their long-standing title.
Cedar Crest College
Head Coach: Kaitlyn Rockwell, first season
2018-19 Record: 5-4
2018-19 Postseason: 3rd at NEAC Championship
Key Returners/Players to Watch: Sophomore Mackenzie Inacker, freshmen Rachel Alulis and Abbey Mower
Key Losses: Olivia Lopez, Mariah Stoppie
Coach's Season Outlook: Cedar Crest is looking forward to an exciting year in the NEAC. Mackenzie Inacker, who was NEAC All-Conference in the 50, 100, and 800 Free Relay will make a huge impact this upcoming season along with the rest of the team. We have our biggest freshmen class on the team this year. Cedar Crest is looking forward to this upcoming season.
Gallaudet University
Head Coach: Larry Curran, eighth season
2018-19 Record: 3-9, 1-3 NEAC
2018-19 Postseason: 5th at NEAC Championship
Key Returners/Players to Watch: Senior Jessica Monroe, sophomore Anquniece Wheeler
Key Losses: Julia Miller-Notestone, Jana Kiefer
Coach's Season Outlook: Gallaudet will look to improve on its fifth-place showing at the NEAC Championship last season. The Bison will enter the 2019-20 season led by senior Jessica Monroe, who earned two all-conference honors last season. GU adds a key transfer in sophomore Anquniece Wheeler, who swam at Chowan University and was a four-year standout in high school swimming in her hometown of Detroit. Wheeler is also a member of the USA Deaf Swim Team. The Bison will need to fill the spot left by Julia Miller-Notestone and senior leader Jana Kiefer but the new faces and energy being brought to the 2019-20 Gallaudet squad has tremendous potential to make a splash.
SUNY Cobleskill
Head Coach: Jamie Hotaling, seventh season
2018-19 Record: 4-11, 0-2 NEAC
2018-19 Postseason: 4th at NEAC Championship
Key Returners/Players to Watch: Sophomores Brooke Andera and Kathrine Noncarrow
Key Losses: None
Coach's Season Outlook: With Noncarrow & Andera returning along with two other letter women and 11 newcomers to the program the Fighting Tigers will be well-positioned to improve on last season's fourth-place finish at the NEAC Championships.
*Information courtesy of Phil Paquette, NEAC Interim Assistant Commissioner for Sports Information. Some information was edited, a complete look at Commissioner Paquette's media release can be found at: https://www.neacsports.com/sports/wswimdive/2019-20/releases/neac-2019-20-season-preview
