Iowa
had a breakthrough season in 2011-12. What's most impressive is that
the vast majority of that success was built on homegrown success with
guys other programs overlooked. Conventional myth holds that a
successful season begets more recruits considering your school. That's
not always the case however and while the Hawkeyes didn't get any
domestic blue-chippers, they did land the versatile David Ernstsson from
Sweden and Kazakh breaststroker Trussov Roman. The rest of the class
boasts a dozen up-and-comers led by the likes of Tyler Nichols and
Michael Nelson. Those guys remind us of the type of guys Iowa rebuilt
around - guys like Paul Gordon, Ryan Phelan and Duncan Partridge - guys
who scored 90 points at Big Ten's this year.
Incoming Freshmen
|
Graduating Seniors
| Name |
Conference
Points
|
NCAA
Points
|
Gordon, Paul R
|
46
|
|
Phelan, Ryan P
|
28
|
|
Partridge, Duncan
|
16
|
|
|
As with the women, top recruits are excited about
what is happening with Ned Skinner’s squad in Blacksburg leading to
a well balance class anchored by Polish Distance Stud Michael Szuba
and highlighted by keeping the 2nd ranked swimmer in the state,
William Nicely and his 3:52 effort in the 400 IM at home.
Drake Becksted, a legit sprint stud with size and potential will
contribute right away and will pair up nicely with Joe Bonk and
Lucas Bureau to make up the H20okies relays of the future.
Skinner has to be excited about the raw speed of this group, plus
Bureau’s 1:38 200 effort. Things look very bright in
Blacksburg.
Incoming Freshmen
|
Losses
| Name |
Conference
Points
|
NCAA
Points
|
Trabuchi-Downey, Blake
|
30
|
|
Higgins, Charlie
|
27
|
|
Baumler, Matt
|
16
|
|
Cook, Nevin
|
16
|
|
|
It would
be great to see Bill Roberts take this class head to head with the
ones assembled by Princeton and Harvard if the Eastern meet hadn’t
returned to an IVY League Championship. As it stands this
class should maintain Navy’s stranglehold over the Patriot League
for the foreseeable future as it has no easily detectable
weakness. Two 55 breaststrokers in Bill Young and Seth
Watlington, Distance events covered by Noah Martin and Alexander
Nickell with a shared load at the middle distance and strokes led by
DeBaugh, Stinson and Duvall. Riley Weber is the one true
sprinter, but he should be in the mix for Patriot League Finals with
four other returning Midshipmen.
Incoming Freshmen
|
Losses
| Name |
Conference
Points
|
NCAA
Points
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As with the Gator Women, this class is small. However with a
relatively small loss in points this middle distance group should
have the time to develop into a class that can make some noise both
at the SEC level and at NCAAs. We all know nothing is a sure
bet in college swimming, but we’d all be surprised if Gregg Troy
doesn’t develop Arthur Frayler into a swimmer who will compete for
NCAA titles down the line, his 4:17 at Eastern’s has to have Coach
Troy excited about his return from London. Justin Kaisrlik
also has potential in the 500 as well as the 400 IM, but his
immediate impact will most likely be in the 800 Free Relay with a
year of improvement. Adam Bull and Ryan Rosenbaum also have
solid middle distance credentials, but Rosenbaum should step in
right away to bolster a relatively anemic breaststroke group.
Incoming Freshmen
|
Graduating Seniors
| Name |
Conference
Points
|
NCAA
Points
|
Norton, Matthew
|
20
|
|
Turner, James
|
9
|
|
|
Last year the Cavs were facing the replacement of
Doug Robison and Matt McLean. This year they’re essentially
looking to replace a pair of recruiting classes considering only two
of last year’s signees made the Cav’s ACC team and only one even
scored a point. In the meantime, the rest of the ACC has begun
closing the gap.
Luke Papendick and Nicholas Alexiou should do their part to keep the
rest of the ACC at bay. Both chose UVA for its “great
combination” of academics and athletics and the combination along
with Matheus Martini give the Cavs versatility mixed with
quality. Papendick is one of the nation’s top young
backstroke talents while Alexiou can cover the 50-500. Martini
has plus speed in the 100 breast that could make him a wildcard on
the relays.
At the NCAA level, Virginia didn’t lose many points and the above
guys should help them move up. You have to imagine that
there’s a little more attention paid to the ACC meet where just
80-odd points separated first from fourth. Any other year and
guys like Rodney Fentress, the lone Virginia native and Eric Holden
would be guys who the Cavs could patiently develop as they earn
their way into the lineup.
With last year’s class a bust (granted they’ve still got some years)
there’s a sense of urgency for the Cavs as they head into the Class
of 2013. For the time being, in a conference where spots
#12-18 on the roster could decide the meet, these guys will be asked
to hold the fort until reinforcements arrive.
Incoming Freshmen
|
Graduating Seniors
| Name |
Conference
Points
|
NCAA
Points
|
Karasek, David
|
52
|
12
|
Imbriglia, Briggy
|
24
|
4
|
Geissinger, Peter W
|
45
|
3
|
|
