Preview: NC State Men

RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State head coach Brooks Teal’s men’s swimming and
diving team returns a focused nucleus of talent for the 2009-10
campaign, including school record holders Mason McGee and Kevin
Woodhull-Smith. McGee owns the top Wolfpack marks in both the 200 and
500 freestyle, while Woodhull-Smith stands first in the 200 individual
medley. Those two also helped Gaites Brown and former teammate Andrew
Lester set a new school record last season in the 800 freestyle relay.
In all, five seniors, seven juniors, six sophomores and seven freshmen
comprise a roster that has posted 12 top-10 all-time marks in the
Wolfpack record book.

Sprint Freestyle
The Pack returns its top sprint freestyle participants from a year ago
in Conor Brennan, Brown, McGee and Steven Wright. Brennan posted the
best time on the squad in the 50 freestyle and the second best in the
100 freestyle, while Brown was first in the 100 freestyle and second in
the 50 freestyle. McGee took third in the 50 freestyle, and Wright was
third in the 100 freestyle. Travis Martinez, Andrew Keenan and Allen Lee
both add much needed experience, while newcomers Caison Roycroft, Kevin
Vallario and Matt Voell will look to provide depth.

Mid-Distance Freestyle
After setting new school records in both the 200 and 500 freestyle a
year ago, McGee will once again rule the roost in all mid-distance
freestyle events. Brown and Ben Mechak are both proven competitors, as
Brown was second on the team in the 200 freestyle last season, while
Mechak was second in the 500 freestyle. Brandon Kingston is poised to
make an immediate impact during his debut season.

Distance Freestyle
McGee, who posted the ninth-best Wolfpack time ever in the 1000
freestyle last year, and Nick Brittis both finished first and third
respectively on the roster last year in both the 1000 and 1650
freestyles. Kingston will be called on to help fill the void left by
Lester, who was one of the top distance freestyle swimmers in school
history.

Butterfly
The Pack’s butterfly corps stands as one of the most experienced groups
on the squad, boasting six returning competitors from past seasons. Sean
Reams burst onto the scene in 2008-09 with the fifth-best 200 butterfly
in school history. Martinez, Keenan, Tyler Mills, Mike Seiferth and
Daniel Basler all made valuable contributions a year ago, and Vallario
and Voell will attempt to break into the regular rotation. Voell, a 100
butterfly state champion in Colorado, is expected to make his mark early
and often.

Backstroke
The loss of school record holder Stephen Mellor will be felt by the Pack
during backstroke events, but Woodhull-Smith, who is second all-time in
the 200 backstroke, should make Mellor’s absence easier to swallow.
Mechak owns the seventh-best mark in school history in the 200
backstroke and was second on the team last season in the 100 backstroke.
Basler, Nick Schauer and Jimmy Ross all gave strong efforts, and Facundo
Monteiro - a highly coveted Argentinian product - is the lone new
addition to the fold.

Breaststroke
Dan Forsythe and Greg Baskwell will be the Pack’s go-to combo in the
breaststroke, both having top-10 all-time marks. Forsythe led the team
last year and is fifth all-time in the 100 breaststroke, eighth in the
200 breaststroke. Baskwell posted the top 200 breaststroke time last
year, which also stands as the seventh-best mark ever for the program.
Wright has been solid when called upon, and the coaching staff
anticipates a similar effort from Roycroft.

Individual Medley
Already having established a reputation as one of the top individual
medley performers in school history, Woodhull-Smith has one more season
to expand upon his 200 individual medley school record and second-place
all-time mark in the 400 individual medley. It is imperative that
Baskwell, Schauer, Reams and Ross all continue to trim time off of their
performances for the Pack to grab points from these events.

Diving
Chris Arcara and HudsonWolfpack men’s divers, standing as the first class brought in under head
diving coach Jenny Keim Johansen. Having enjoyed exemplary prep and club
careers, the distinguished duo will be thrown into the mix and tested
immediately.