2008-09 Season Preview
Defending League Champs Eye Skyline Tourney Crown
Purchase, NY (Oct. 27, 2008) -- Six points is all that seperated Mount Saint Mary and Purchase College at last season's Skyline Conference Women's Swim Championships. It would have been the dream ending for the Panthers' near perfect season.
Following a perfect regular season record in both the Skyline Conference and Hudson Valley Women's Athletic Conference, which included a HVWAC Championship, the Skyline Tournament title was the only missing piece of the puzzle for the Panthers.
Flash forward to this fall, the Purchase swim team is back in the water, more focused than ever on writing a new conclusion. Second place was great, but it won't do for these Panthers. "The team looks strong this year," explained Purchase coach Peter Nestel. "We only graduated two swimmers from last years winning team. It will be difficult to replicate an almost perfect season from last year. However with a strong year of recruiting combined with a refreshed hard work ethic, the team has decided that it can equal or exceed last year's overall performance.
"Going undefeated in the regular season in two conferences is the goal again; with the only difference this year being that they don’t want to finish second at Skyline Championships. We only came in second at the meet by 6 points out of some 350 points...And we did this with three of our top swimmers sick or injured at championships."
Tri-captains Patricia Orellana, Kimberly Garrett and Jessica Brothers will anchor the squad. The captains along with returning swimmers Dana Tandoi, Meghan Trainor, Jen Cruttenden, Kate Hallex and Lauren Raia provide depth and versatility. Newcomers include distance specialist Lindsey McCullough, middle distance all stroke swimmers Kaitlyn Raitz, who is also a music major cellist, Christina Muller, Laura Mangino and Emily Cohen. Cohen is returning to swimming after not competing since high school. The Panthers also welcome Alexandra Riley-Murphy and Emily Briggs, who are strong swimmers from Christine Klint's swimming class.
"All of these components combined with the heart and hard work ethic should allow this year's team an opportunity to be even better than last year," Nestel said. "The team is very involved with each other. They are doing fundraising in an effort to train in
The coaches are also excited about the effort by Kate Hallex and other swimmers from last year to get a men’s swim program off the ground.
