UMass Men's Swimming & Diving Adds Seven For 2008-09 Campaign Seven newcomers will join the University of Massachusetts men's swimming and diving program for the 2008-09 campaign as announced by head coach Russ Yarworth. The Minutemen are coming off their 10th Atlantic 10 Conference Championship - the most in league history. The class is made up of five swimmers and two divers: Ryan Brooks (Dedham, Mass.), Matt Burak (North Easton, Mass./Univ. of Rhode Island), Jason Cook (Amherst, Mass.), Conner Dunn (Brookfield, Conn.), Kyle Jennings (Columbus, Ohio), Peter Saunders (Andover, Mass.), and Joey Sbordon (Franklin, Mass.). "We've managed to replace a very strong senior class with some excellent young talent. Bringing in some of the top high school swimmers in Massachusetts (four individual state championships this year alone between them), is a testament to how our program is being perceived," said Yarworth. (more)
State University of New York at New Paltz Athletic Director, Stuart Robinson, announced the hiring of Scott Whitbeck as the Head Swim Coach. Whitbeck comes to SUNY New Paltz after two years as an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts. "We are extremely delighted that Scott will be joining our staff," stated Robinson. "His accomplishments as a swimmer and his experiences at UMass, Wooster and Michigan distinguished him from a talented pool of candidates. He has a lot of offer with his understanding of the ongoing developments within the sport and his view of where our programs are and want to be." (more)
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams held the UMass Aquatics Alumni Reunion over this past weekend. During the end-of-the-season banquet, head coaches Russ Yarworth, Bob Newcomb, and Mandy Hixon gave out team awards, presented the team captains for next season and honored the departing senior class. Sophomore Elizabeth Walsh (Marshfield, Mass.), junior Karen Upperco (Titusville, N.J.), senior Reuben Rappe (Farmington, Minn.), and freshman Andrew Willbrant (Londonderry, N.H.) were honored as this seasons Most Valuable Performers. (more)
The UMass Aquatics Alumni Reunion Weekend will be May 2-4 (Friday-Sunday). There is a full list of activities planned for the weekend including the Team Banquet and the Annual Auction. All registration information is available at www.UMassAquatics.com. The Econo Lodge in Hadley will be holding a block of rooms at a discounted rate for the Alumni Weekend. The rate is $104 + tax each night. To receive the discounted rate, guests should call the hotel at 413-582-7077 and ask for the UMass Swim & Dive Alumni group block.
CollegeSwimming.com Mid-Major Poll
Coming off its 10th Atlantic 10 Championship title, the University of Massachusetts men's swimming and diving team has been ranked No. 9 nationally in the final CollegeSwimming.com Mid-Major Poll of the year. This is the second consecutive year that the Minutemen finished the year ranked ninth in the poll. UMass finished the dual meet season with a 5-2 overall record and won the Boston University Terrier and Rhode Island Invitationals alongside the Minutemen's 10th A-10 Conference title.
Senior Reuben Rappe (Farmington, Minn.) and junior Karen Upperco (Titusville, N.J.) wrapped up their season this past weekend after competing in the NCAA Zone Diving Regional at the Alumni Arena Natatorium, in Buffalo, New York. Both Upperco and Rappe improved their dives from last year, with Rappe finishing seventh out of 31 divers in the three-meter dive with a score of 603.80 and fifth overall in the one-meter dive with a score of 581.25. Upperco finished fourth overall out of 22 divers on both boards with a score 532.65 in the one-meter and 563.65 on the three-meter board.
11/14 - SWM: Women's Swim Coach Bob Newcomb Interview
