Mary Washington College's swim teams stroked to two more Capital Athletic Conference Championships in 1997-98, marking the eighth straight crown for the women and the third straight title for the men (sixth in eight seasons). With four swimmers having competed at the NCAA Swimming Championships, including a top-20 finish for the women, last season's Eagle squads proved to be two of the strongest ever at MWC.

The three M's -- Megan Reese (Virginia Beach, VA/ Kempsville), Mariah Butler (Zanesville, OH/Bishop Rosecrans), and Kim Myers (Cockeysville, MD/ Dulaney) -- comprised MWC's women's team at Nationals in St. Louis, Missouri. Rising junior and All-American Myers won the silver medal in the 200-yard Freestyle with a time of 1:54.27 to set a new MWC varsity and Capital Athletic Conference record. Classmate Butler tied Reese for 13th place in the 200 Individual Medley and earned thirteenth in the 400 IM, taking All-American honors for the second consecutive year in that event. In the 1996-97 season, Butler made All-America in the 200 Butterfly.

The 1997-98 Capital Athletic Conference Female Swimmer of the Year, Reese, concluded her career at MWC with a sixth-place finish in the 400 IM and a thirteenth-place effort in the 200 IM. A five-time All­ America, Reese earned two national honors her freshman year (200 IM, 400 IM), then returned to the All­ American ranks (400 IM) a year ago after shoulder surgery her sophomore year, in addition to Reese, Coach Kinney loses three others to graduation, including Charis Armstrong, Jessica Green, and Melissa Timberlake.

The extremely versatile Myers, who swept the 200-, 500- and 1650-meter Freestyle events at the conference championships, and the all-around Butler, winner of the 200 IM and 200 Butterfly competitions at the CAC championships, head a stellar list of CACs All Conference swimmers returning to the women's roster next year. In the conference championship, rising sophomore Lindsay Taggart (Chesapeake, YA/Indian River) earned first in the 100- and second in the 200-yard back. Classmate Jenny Maher (Medford, NJ/ Shawnee) won the 200-breaststroke event, and junior Dianna Hansen (Burke, VA/Lake Braddock) finished second to Maher in the 200 breaststroke but paced the field in the 100 breast stroke, in addition to her 200 IM fifth-place finish earlier in the meet.

Other returnees contributing to the Eagles' 7-3 overall and 5-0 conference record were Jill Kwasney (Elmira, NY/ Elmira Southside), Beth Sheldon (Danville, VA/George Washington), Caroline Stender (Fanwood, NJ/Scotch Plains), and Carolyn Scott (Rockville, MD/Connelly School Holy Child).

Graduated workhorse senior Chris Rice (Perry, NY/Geneseo Central) reached All-America status for the second-straight year with a top-12 finish in the 200-yard butterfly at the NCAA Championships. A year ago, Rice was a two-time All-American, having swum to a top-12 finish in the 200 fly and top-16 place in the 100 fly. Rice, the CAC's Male Swimmer of the Year, swept the 100 fly and 200 fly (1:53.55) events at the Conference meet, setting a CAC and Meet Record in the latter event.

Backstroke and freestyle specialist Matt Anderson and distance swimmer Todd Hutzler have both graduated along with Rice. Ascending senior Nathan Zaleski (Stafford, VA/Brooke Point) will navigate the 1998- 99 quest for a fourth-straight championship; Zaleski won the 500-freestyle event at the CAC championship meet and merited second-place awards in both the 100- yard fly and 100 free competitions. Classmate Jeff Dehart (Bel Air, MD/Bel Air) outraced Zaleski in the 100 free for his single gold medal performance and claimed third in the 100 back. Rising junior Mark Greenleaf (Waterville, ME/Waterville) placed first in the 50-yard freestyle, second in the 100 breaststroke, and third in the 100 free at CAC championships. Look for sophomores Sean Young (Richmond, VA/James River), Eric Richko (Seaford, NY/Seaford), and Mike Salpeter (Fairfax Station, VA/Lake Braddock) to make a splash this coming season as well.

Both teams achieved their distinguished 7-3 overall and 5-0 conference records on their strengths of depth and balance. The Eagles suffered their only losses to perennial powers Gettysburg College and Johns Hopkins University, and Division I University of Richmond.