Binghamton, get set to get wet as the Binghamton University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams get ready to travel to Boston for the America East Championships. The meet will take place between Feb. 8 and 11 and is the conclusion to an arduous five-month season.
The men’s team enters the championship tournament ranked as the No. 2 seed and finds itself having a legitimate chance of winning it all. The main competition for the Bearcats will be three-time defending champion UMBC, who thrashed second-place Binghamton in last year’s tournament. The field will also consist of other formidable opponents, including the University of New Hampshire, University of Maine and host school Boston University.
The women’s team hopes to build on an already successful season by improving on its seventh place finish in last year’s competition. The women’s bracket will most likely be highlighted by two-time defending champion UNH. Yet, the Bearcat women will most likely target rival SUNYs Stony Brook and Albany.
Men:
University of Maine (2-5)
– The Black Bears have put up impressive performances, though their record does not show it. They are led by senior swimmer Chris Card and junior diver Keith Burgie, who have both won America East Performer of the Week honors. In addition to a victory over Providence, the Black Bears also posted an impressive second place at the Rhode Island Invitational. Maine finished in a three-way tie for fifth in last year’s championships and hopes to improve this weekend.
Stony Brook (7-3)
– The Seawolves enter the tournament with momentum, having won their last two meets against Lafayette and Fairfield. Led by junior Alexei Smirnov and sophomore Yoni Elder, Stony Brook will attempt to avenge a loss to the Bearcats in January. The Seawolves have had victories against Boston University and Maine. Stony Brook will also attempt to improve from its fifth-place finish last year.
UMBC (9-1)
– The Retrievers are the odds-on favorite at this weekend’s tournament. They have won the last three conference championships and the last six East Coast Athletic Conference titles. They are headed by seniors Ryan Karrer and Justin Bronson, who have dominated in the 1,650-meter free and 500-meter free, respectively. UMBC also has a host of underclassmen attempting to carry on this dynasty. The Retrievers defeated Binghamton this season on their way to dominating the conference and were ranked as the preseason favorites to repeat as champions.
Binghamton (7-3)
– The Bearcats are most likely going to be the only competition for UMBC. The Bearcats are led by three-time America East Swimmer of the Week and Swimmer of the Year candidate David Holmes. Holmes enters the tournament ranked first in six individual events. Co-captains Brian Koizim and Trevor Stone are also essential for the Bearcats. Koizim, who recently won America East Swimmer of the Week, comes in hot and hopes to build off the momentum of his stellar week. Binghamton also packs a great deal of phenomenal underclassmen, including sophomore sensation Brenno Varanda, along with divers Ryan Graham and Matt Russo. Binghamton was defeated by UMBC and hopes to avenge its loss in last year’s tournament. The Bearcats were ranked No. 4 in the preseason polls and surprised everyone with their great performance; therefore, an upset is not unlikely from the men.
Prediction: With the emergence of Holmes, Koizim and Stone, the Bearcat men will prevail this weekend.
Women:
Boston University (7-1)
– Host school Boston will have an advantage, swimming in their home pool. The Terrier women are led by sophomores Eve Kinsella and Christina Ruggiero, who dominate the 200-meter free and 500-meter free, respectively. Boston has been impressive in conference swims as well, capturing victories against Binghamton, Stony Brook and Maine. The Terriers hope to improve on their third-place finish from last season.
UMBC (9-1)
– The women Retrievers enter the tournament strong, winning their last eight meets. The women return sophomore Daniele Surkovich and junior Meghan Sackett, who excelled in last year’s tournament. UMBC will also look to the boards and hope to dominate the diving portion of the tournament. The divers will be led by Ashley Houghton, who won Diver of the Meet at last year’s tourney. The Retrievers will hope to defeat New Hampshire and capture an America East title.
UNH (4-4)
– The Wildcats were the preseason pick to win the women’s portion of the tournament, though their record does not prove it. Yet, UNH brings a whole host of weapons to the meet, including junior swimmers Kary Goodman and Deanna Petchonka and junior diver Christine Tartaglia. The Wildcats will have to stave off UMBC to have a legitimate shot at repeating.
Binghamton (2-9)
– The Bearcats finished the season strong and developed many of their younger swimmers. The women’s team is highlighted by the two freshmen phenoms Lindsay Wright and Allyce Brand. They will also display their sophomore star Aleksandra Grubic, who has excelled in her second year. The women’s team is young, and the tournament will allow these underclassmen to mature as swimmers and gain valuable postseason experience. Though the Bearcat women are tough, UMBC and UNH may be too hard to overcome.
Prediction: Riding on their immense winning streak, the UMBC women will overtake UNH and capture the America East championship.
No matter what happens at Boston, the men’s and women’s teams have excelled this season and proved themselves with class. As expected, head coach Sean Clark will have his team ready and prepared for this weekend.