2008-09 Swimming Season Preview

    Versatility and consistency are two common threads that weave throughout the Hood College men’s and women’s swim teams as the Blazers enter their third season in the Capital Athletic Conference. Under the direction of ninth-year head coach Don Feinberg, Hood’s longest-tenured mentor, the Blazer men’s squad of six and women’s squad of seven look to improve in all four disciplines and advance more swimmers to the championship final at the conference meet.
    On the men's side, senior team captain and school record holder Matt Haynes will be looking to finish his swimming career on a high note in the sprint free events. Haynes is the school record holder in the 50 and 100 freestyles and is a member of all five record-setting relay squads.
    Two transfers, Chris Moreland and Chris Nemecek, will help make Hood's team competitive in the relay events and add solid depth to the fly and middle distance events. Moreland comes to Hood from Montgomery Community College and Nemecek, whose specialty is butterfly, competed for Virginia Commonwealth University before joining the Blazer squad this season.
    Sophomore Kyle Atras and senior A.J. Smith return after contributing solid swims in the middle distance free events last season. Atras shaved nearly a minute off his 500 free time towards the season’s end and Smith has shown considerable improvement in all four strokes since joining the squad as a walk-on last winter.
    Newcomer Thomas Williams, a native of Columbia, Md., has made tremendous strides in preseason workouts and will contribute in the freestyle and breaststroke events.
    For the women, sophomore Kim Wolfgang returns having placed in the top eight at CACs in two events. The native of Glenwood, Md., won the consolation heat in the 100 back and qualified for finals in the 400 individual medley and the 200 back.
    Senior team captain Ashley Garyn can swim almost any event giving the Blazers a lot of flexibility. A member of four record-setting relay teams, Garyn swam the 1650 and the 200 freestyles at the conference meet last year.
    Junior Erica Hamor could score at CACs in a multiple number of events as well. Hamor was tenth in the 400 individual medley and 15th in the 200 breaststroke at championships and won three events in dual-meet action against conference rival Gallaudet.
    Sophomore distance freestyler Melissa Masino has a fantastic work ethic and set two personal bests at the conference meet a year ago. Kristen Kucharski rejoins the team after a semester off and is an outstanding butterflyer and freestyler.
    The addition of Michelle Leggieri and Kara Cruice will shore up the squad's depth. Local product Leggieri, from Gov. Thomas Johnson High School, has a chance to score at CACs in a number of events.  Cruice, who competed for the Blazers during the 2005-06 campaign, will add depth in the individual medley, freestyle and butterfly.
    The Blazers host three home meets in January and will travel once again to the aquatic facility at St. Mary’s College (Md.) Feb. 13-15 for the CAC championships.