Jan. 14, 2005
The 2003-04 Duquesne University men's swimming team equaled a school-best finish at the Atlantic 10 Championship by finishing seventh after three straight eighth-place finishes. In addition, the squad set nine school records and demonstrated more team depth than ever before.
The goal for the Dukes and second-year head coach David Sheets is to continue improving and climbing in the A-10 standings in 2004-05. To do this, Sheets will rely on the leadership and talents of seniors Josh Hoffman, Jeremy Tomista and Dereck Wischmeyer as well as a proven group of juniors and sophomores and a new class of freshmen.
BREASTSTROKE The Dukes return little depth in the breaststroke events after losing the top four swimmers in the 100-yard event and four of the top five in the 200-yard swim. However, the Dukes will welcome the return of junior John Holleran after missing last season to an injury. Holleran led the Dukes in both events as a freshman and will look to return to that form this year. Also competing for the Red and Blue will be sophomore Jordan Moss and freshman Josh Barr.
BACKSTROKE After setting school records in both the 100 and 200-yard backstrokes last year as a freshman, sophomore Scott Darwin returns to lead a talented group in this event this season. Also contributing will be junior Doug Yeager and sophomore Clayton Dean who were numbers two and three in the event last year. They will all be joined by freshman Jason Reinhard, who should make an immediate impact.
BUTTERFLY Hoffman, junior Hugo Erse and sophomore Dan Wargo return as the top butterflyers on the team. All three should once again battle for top honors this season along with freshman Chris Frantz. Returnees Tomista and sophomore Mike Semanchik will also figure into the mix.
FREESTYLE Four of the seven individual school records and both relay records set last season came in the freestyle events and all of the swimmers that help set them return this season. Sprints - Junior Ed Wicker has already entrenched himself as the top sprinter in Duquesne history. A 2003 Atlantic 10 champion in the 50-yard freestyle, he set school records in the 50 and 100 as a freshman and improved on those times last year as a sophomore. More of the same is expected this year. Also contributing competitive times will be Darwin who was tops in the 200 and second in the 50 and 100. Semanchik, Wischmeyer and sophomore Anthony Addlesberger will add experience while freshmen Frantz, Ian Walsh, Michael Buckley, Tim Stauffer and Mike Komarnicki will add depth. Distance - Dean was the leader in the 500 and 1,000, setting school records in each event and should post similar times again in 2004-05. He did and will receive assistance from Moss, Darwin and Erse.
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY Dean was the top man in both the 200 and 400 IM last season and will challenge for that honor again this year. Also vying for the top IM spot will be Wargo, Wicker, Erse, Hoffman, Moss and Barr.
SCHEDULE Duquesne will face traditional Atlantic 10 rivals St. Bonaventure, Fordham, Xavier and Rhode Island as well as West Virginia, Pitt, Towson, Niagara, Cleveland State, St. Peter's, Clarion and Kenyon. The Dukes will also compete in the Akron Invitational and close the season with the Atlantic 10 Championship. In addition, Duquesne will host its annual Alumni Meet in October and make an 11-day holiday break trip to Ft. Lauderdale, FL for additional training.
