Armed with four returning CAC individual champions and a two-time NCAA backstroke qualifier, the defending conference champion Eagles look to tum their regional successes into the national spectrum.
Senior Matt Mejia (Concord, NH) - the reigning CAC Male Swimmer of the Year and two-time NCAA competitor - leads a hungry Eagle contingent. Mejia holds three MWC freestyle and two back stroke records, and was a double winner at the CAC Championships in 1992, taking the 500 free and the 100 back. Classmate Kent Secker (Pittsford, NY), holder of two school marks, captured firsts in the 200 and 400-yard IM and the 200 fly at the CACs. A third senior recordholder is 6-8 sprint freestyler Josh Lontz (Fredericksburg, VA), the 200-freestyle champion at the CACs in '92. Kevin Ahearn (Jr./Vienna, VA) won the 1,650-yard event to give MWC four individual CAC champions.
Additional talent and leadership come from other veterans, including senior Adam Owings (Unionville, PA), a second-place CAC finisher in the 100-breast last spring. Bobby Kelly (Sr./Alexandria, VA) is a former four-time school recordholder who gives MWC depth in the freestyle-and IM events, and sophomore Stewart Gill (Richmond, VA) was second in last year's 200 breaststroke at the CAC meet. Konrad Heller (Jr./The Netherlands) is an experienced sprint freestyler as is Barak Carter (So./Alexandria, VA), a member of the CAC champion 400 free relay. Al Wolstenholme (Jr./ Coatesville, PA) and Mike Weil (Sr./Rockville, MD) add depth to the freestyle as well.
Richards believes this could be a breakthrough year for MWC men's swimming, as Mejia aims to become the school's first All-American, and Secker appears poised to approach national-caliber status as well. A talented recruiting class could help the Eagles soar to a double-figure victory season in dual-meet competition and a third straight CAC Championship.
"We have arrived at a crossroads in men's swimming...we have the ability to determine what direction we will take," said Richards. “A strong nucleus of seasoned veterans should blend well with our talented new freshmen. This is our opportunity to move up to the next level of competition and success. I believe we have compensated for our graduation losses and have made significant progress."