June 17, 2008

MEN'S SWIMMING TO WELCOME ELEVEN NEWCOMERS IN 2008-09

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - Bryant University men's swimming coach Katie Cameron will welcome eleven freshman standouts to campus when preseason camp opens later this summer.  The Bulldogs, who will be competing in their first Division I season this fall, are coming off a tremendous season in 2007. 

The Bulldogs were 10-1 overall and 3-0 in Northeast-10 Conference competition last season.  After a fourth-place finish at the conference championships, the Bulldogs earned a fifth-place finish at the New England Championships behind the stellar performance of Tom Ferrigno. Ferrigno, who will return for his senior season in 2008, set several school and pool records and was named the Swimmer of the Meet at the New England Championships. 

Here is a list of the newcomers joining the Bulldogs this fall.

Mitchell Cameron, Fr., Spring Fly / Freestyle (Hanson, MA /Whitman-Hanson)
YMCA National qualifier in the 50 fly ... Qualified for New England Open in the 50 free and member of the eighth-place men's 400 free relay at NE Open after taking a season off due to injuries.

Jim DeLucia, Fr., Sprint Freestyle / Backstroke (Waterbury, CT / Holy Cross)
Connecticut State Open qualifier in 200-yard free relay and 100-yard backstroke

Konrad Lech, Fr., Freestyle / Breastroke (Portland, ME / Deering)
Second-place in 100-yard breastroke at Maine Class A High School State Championship in 2008 ... Named Deering High School swimming MVP in 2008.

Kevin McDonald, Fr., Sprints/ Freestyle / Backstroke (North Haven, CT / North Haven)
Placed second in the 100 backstroke at the 2008 Class LL Championship .... Placed third in 50-yard free also at Class LL Championship ... 12^th-place at 2008 Opens in 50-yard free and placed ninth in 100-yard backstroke at 2008 Opens ... Named All-State and All-Area in 2008 ... School record holder in 100 back. 

Zach Bowen, Fr., Butterfly / Middle Distance Freestyle (Linchfield, NH / Campbell High School)
New Hampshire Division II State Champion in the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard freestyle ... New England High School State Champion 100-yard butterfly ... Named NH First Team All-State

Brendan Heller, Fr., Sprints (Naugatuck, CT / Naugatuck HS)
Named to Waterbury Republican-American Newspaper All-Academic Team as a senior ... Named team captain ... Four-time NVL Finalist and two time team NVL Champion.

Hayden Osborn, Fr., Butterfly/ IM (Waterbury, CT / Sacred Heart)
Named to All-Naugatuck Valley League All-Star team ... NVL Scholar-Athlete ... Connecticut All-State selection.

Jack Burnham, Fr., Freestyle/Backstroke (Topsham, ME / Mt. Ararat)
A backstroke standout from Topsham, Maine ... Burnham was a member of the 200 medley relay at YMCA Nationals in April and has been a YMCA National qualifier in the 50 free as well.

Sean Martell, Fr., Breastroke / Freestyle (Nashua, NH / Nashua North)
A breastroker from Nashua NH, Sean was a standout in both swimming and soccer at Nashua North High School.

Blake Williams, Fr., Butterfly/ Distance Medley (Cheshire, CT / Cheshire)
2008 Class L Medley Relay Champion ... Three-time Connecticut All-State selection (2006, 2007, 2008) ... All-SCC selection in 2007 ... New Haven Register All-Area in 2008 ... Holds fifth-best time in school history in the 100-yard butterfly ... Helped lead team to 2005 and 2006 Class L State Championship.