Carpenter Repeats as MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Week

Senior Meili Carpenter was named MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Week for the second consecutive week following her performances at the Zippy Invitational at the University of Akron on Decemeber 4-6. On the opening day of the meet, Meili won the women's 1-meter competition with a score of 311.45. In the process, she broke both the meet and pool records while being the only woman in the event to score over 300 points. She followed her performance on 1-meter with an impressive 1st place finish on 3-meter with a score of 316.65.

Congratulations Meili and Go Bulls!

Marecki Named UB Female Athlete of the Week

Congratulations to sophomore Brynn Marecki for being named the UB Female Athlete of the Week for the second time this season. Brynn placed 1st in the 100 breast, 2nd in the 200 breast, and 4th in the 200 IM at the Zippy Invitational at the University of Akron last weekend. Byrnn was also a member of the women's 200 medley relay team that won the event with a meet and pool record.

This marks the 5th time this year that a member of the Women's Swimming & Diving team has earned this award.

Bulls Claim Second Place...Congratulations Bulls!

The Akron Invitational concluded on Sunday evening with the men and women taking home 2nd place finishes. It was the highest team finish ever for the women at this meet, leaving them just points behind defending champion Ohio. The men were unable to defend their team title, but posted a higher team score than last year, showing how much they have improved in just a few short months.

The evening began with the 1650 free in which Jordan Deren placed 2nd overall with an impressive time of 17:15.95. Amanda Reall and Alisa Koopman finished 13th and 15th respectively in the event as well. Senior Jessica Ballard won the consolation heat with a time of 2:04.87, an in-season best time for her. Caroline Simmons placed 3rd in the 100 free (51.38) while Sam Palma finished 7th in the same event with a time of 52.94. Brynn Marecki placed 2nd in the 200 breast (2:22.33) and Logan Mason placed 9th in the 200 fly (2:10.28). The final event of the meet was the 400 free relay. The team of Jessica Ballard, Jordan Deren, Sam Palma and Caroline Simmons finished 4th.

Connor Vander Zalm began the session with a 3rd place finish in the men's 1650 free with a season best time of 16:22.98. The 200 back was one of the team's most impressive individual events of the weekend as Zach Ruske, Andrew Tamchyna, and Matt Schwippert finished 1st-2nd-5th. The Bulls also had 3 swimmers in the final heat of the 100 free. Sophomores Jared Heine, Simon Proudfoot, and Chad Miller combined for a 5th-6th-8th place finish. The team's strong showing in the 100 free meant great things for the 400 free relay, which placed 2nd overall.

Records Fall at Akron Invite

After the second day of competition, the Buffalo women stood in 3rd place while the men maintained a strong hold on 2nd place. The evening was filled with record breaking performance in almost every event, including the women's 200 medley relay which began the night. The relay team of Jessica Ballard, Brynn Marecki, Sam Palma, and Caroline Simmons broke the meet and pool record in a winning time of 1:44.92. Other outstanding performances on the women's side include Alie Schirmer's 2nd place finish in the 400 IM (4:31.73), Sam Palma's 3rd place finish in the 100 fly (56.61), Jordan Deren's 4th place finish in the 200 free (1:52.82), Caroline Simmons' 6th place finish in the 200 free (1:53.78), Brynn Marecki's win in the 100 breast (1:04.07), and Meili Carpenter's win in the 3-meter diving event with a score of 316.65.

The men were not to be outdone as they continued to make their presence known on day 2. The relay team of Matt Schwippert, Josh Meints, Cory Zorsch, and Chad Miller started the evening with a 3rd place finish in the 200 medley relay (1:34.03). Seniors Zach Ruske and Connor Vander Zalm finished 5th and 6th respectively in the 400 IM. Other impressive performances came from Cory Zorsch in the 100 fly (51.51; 8th place), Simon Proudfoot in the 200 free (1:43.94; 9th place), Josh Meints in the 100 breast (59.37; 9th place), and the backstroke combo of Andrew Tamchyna (51.35; 2nd place) and Matt Schwippert (51.62; 3rd) in the 100. On the diving boards, Kenny Rhoades and Colin Patrican finished 1st-2nd on 1-meter!

Bulls Get Off to a Great Start at the Zippy Invite!

After Day 1 of competition at the Akron Invitational, the Buffalo women stood in 4th place while the men were in 2nd.

Friday's finals session began with the 200 free relay. The women placed 2nd behind Ohio with a time of 1:35.57. Jordan Deren placed 4th overall in the 500 free, while Emma Miller, Amanda Reall, and Kim Dale each scored in the event's bonus consolation heat. Sophomores Brynn Marecki and Alie Schirmers teamed up for a 4th-7th finish in the 200 IM. Freshmen Karly Moore and Katelyn Pratt-Collins scored in the event as well, posting season best times. The final individual swimming event of the day was the 50 free. Caroline Simmons tied for 1st place with Akron's Steph Zielinski. Her time of 23.46 is the 4th fastest in school history! Meili Carpenter won the women's 1-meter final with a score of 311.45, setting a meet and pool record in the process! Senior Ursula Jeske placed 8th overall.

The men began the evening with a 4th place finish in the 200 free relay. Senior Connor Vander Zalm finished 10th overall in the 500 free with a season best time of 4:42.15. Zach Ruske placed 4th in the 200 IM, while freshman Josh Meints won the consolation final and sophomore Chris Berloth won the bonus consolation final. All three men posted season best times. In the 50 free, the Bulls saw 5 team members place in the event including a 7th place finish by Simon Proudfoot. On the boards, sophomore Colin Patrican won the 3-meter event with a score of 287.55. Kenny Rhoades followed up his performances at the Wildcat Invite with a 3rd place finish in Akron. In the evening's final event, the 400 medley relay team placed 4th.

Bulls Head to Akron for Invitational

The Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving team will be traveling to Akron this weekend for a 3-day invitational hosted by the University of Akron. The annual Zippy Invitational is designed to model the MAC Championship format and provides the athletes with an unique opportunity to compete in a prelim-final meet at the midway point of the season. Each swimmer will compete in 3 individual events with the possibility of swimming on 4 of 5 relays. On the diving side, both 1-meter and 3-meter will be contested.

The team has been working hard in and out of the water and we are looking forward to see many great performances this weekend. Stay tuned for results and updates!

Good luck Bulls!

Carpenter Named MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Week

Senior Meili Capenter was recently named the Mid-American Conference's Women's Scholar-Athlete of the Week following her performances at the Wildcat Invitational in Tucson, Arizona.

Meili is a graduate student in Science Education and has maintained a 3.77 GPA. She won the 1-meter competition at the Wildcat Invite and placed 3rd in hte 3-meter championship final. Meili's 1-meter score of 301.20 was the only score above 300 points and placed her ahead of divers from BYU, Stanford, New Mexico, Northern Arizona, and Arizona State.

The MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week honor is presented to a MAC male and female student-athlete who has a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better and performs well during the week's competition. The winners are selected by the Conference's faculty athletic representatives.

CONGRATULATIONS MEILI!

Buffalo Divers Make a Statement at Wildcat Invitational

Junior Kenny Rhoades and Senior Meili Carpenter traveled to Tucson, Arizona prior to Thanksgiving to compete in the Wildcat Invite at the University of Arizona. The 3-day competition provided both athletes with the opportunity to perform against some of the best collegiate divers in the country.

During the first day of competition, Meili placed 3rd on 3-meter with a final round score of 289.00. Kenny placed 12th overall with a consolation final round score of 273.30. The women's 1-meter competition turned out to be one of the most exciting of the weekend as Meili stepped up to win the event with an impressive final round score of 301.20! Kenny finished the weekend with an 11th place finish on platform with a 6-dive score of 208.70.

Congratulations to both Meili and Kenny on a great weekend!

Marecki Named UB Female Athlete of the Week

Congratulations to Brynn Marecki on being named the UB Female Athlete of the Week for the week of Nov. 9th. Brynn won the 100 breast (1:04.66) and 200 breast (2:20.03) against Eastern Michigan on Friday. She was also a member of the winning 400 medley relay team, and placed 2nd behind teammate Alie Schirmers in the 200 IM. On Saturday against Ball State, Brynn won the 100 breast and 200 breast while helping the 200 medley relay team to the win.

Bulls End the Semester With a Big Weekend at Home

The Buffalo Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving teams ended the first semester of the season with home competitions against Eastern Michigan and Ball State over the weekend. The men faced MAC competition for the first time this year, while the women went up against MAC teams for the first time at home.

Friday's competition against Eastern Michigan was a true test for both the men and women, as the Eagles have had a long standing tradition of success within the conference. The Bulls entered the meet looking to see how they measured up against some very good competition. The women opened the meet with a 1-2 finish in the 400 medley relay. The score of the meet remained close until the 50 free when Caroline Simmons, Jessie Koltz, and Sam Palma combined for a 1-2-4 finish. The trio of Jessie Koltz, Sam Palma, and Sam Eckert finished 1-2-3 in the 100 fly and put the final stamp on the evening. The women won the meet by a score of 166-128.

The men stepped up to the challenge of facing an Eastern Michigan program who has won 28 MAC titles. The men were led by sophomore Jared Heine who won the 200 free, sophomore Kenny Rhoades on 1-meter, freshman Matt Schwippert in the 100 fly, and the 400 free relay team who won the final event in a time of 3:07.97. It was the best showing by a Buffalo team against EMU in school history.

Saturday's meet against Ball State resulted in a victory for both the men and the women. The competition began with a 1-2 finish by both squads in the 200 medley relay. The women's "A" relay team just out touched the "B" relay, while the men's "B" relay snuck in for the win over the "A". Buffalo won all but 5 total events on the day. Noteworthy performances include wins by Kenny Rhoades on 1-meter and 3-meter diving, Meili Carpenter on both boards, Jessie Koltz in the 50 free and 100 fly, Kim Dale in the 1000 free, and Zach Ruske in the 200 free and 200 IM. Needless to say, a lot of great things happened this past weekend!

Congratulations Bulls!

Carpenter named UB Female Athlete of the Week

Congratulations to senior Meili Carpenter! She was named the UB Female Athlete of the Week for the week of November 2nd. Meili had a very impressive weekend, winning all of 4 of her events. On Friday evening against Miami, she won the 1-meter diving competition with a score of 314.03 and 3-meter with a score of 270.08. During Saturday's meet against Ohio University, Meili stepped up once again to win both boards while setting a Ohio pool record and a UB team record on 3-meter (345.30).

Meili is the second member of the Women's Swimming & Diving team to be recognized for their performances this season. Junior Jordan Deren received the honor last week.

Buffalo Women Return Home After Exciting MAC Opening Weekend

The UB Women's team traveled to Miami (OH) University and Ohio University this past weekend for their first MAC competitions of the season. Miami, the defending MAC champions, won the meet by a score of 171-129 at their home pool. The meet vs. Ohio came down to the final relay, with Ohio winning the meet by a score of 154-146. Despite the losses, there were plenty of moments to be excited about and to build on as the team heads back to Buffalo for 2 more MAC competitions on Nov. 6th and 7th.

Friday's meet at Miami was highlighted by individual event wins by Jordan Deren in the 500 free (5:06.54) and 1000 free (10:26.09), Caroline Simmons in the 50 free (23.97) and 100 free (52.40), Meili Carpenter on 1-meter and 3-meter, and the 400 free relay team of Jessie Koltz, Jordan Deren, Sam Palma, and Caroline Simmons (3:30.83).

On Saturday at Ohio, the women once again stepped up to the challenge of facing one of the conference's best teams. The meet began with the Bulls winning the 400 medley relay in a season best 3:52.60. Sophomore Brynn Marecki won the 100 breast and freshman Logan Mason won the 200 fly to give the Bulls some momentum going into the 1-meter diving competition. Senior Meili Carpenter won both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving competitions, including a OU pool and UB team record score on 3-meter (345.30)! Freshmam Caroline Simmons won the 100 free while Brynn Marecki and Alie Schirmers combined for a 1-2 finish in the 200 breast. Heading into the last relay, Buffalo needed to win the event in order to win the meet. The relay team of Jessie Koltz, Jordan Deren, Sam Palma, and Caroline Simmons placed second, but with a time of 1:35.52...the fastest in-season time since Coach Bashor took over the program in 2006!

Both the Men's and Women's teams will be competing against Eastern Michigan at home on Friday, Nov. 6th. The teams will be back in the pool on Saturday for their meet against Ball State.

Deren named MAC Swimmer of the Week

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) announced yesterday that Jordan Deren earned Female Swimmer of the Week honors after her performances against Duquesne last Friday. Congratulations to Jordan and to the Bulls on a great start to the season!

Deren named UB Female Athlete of the Week

Congratulations to junior Jordan Deren! She was named the UB Female Athlete of the Week for the week of Oct. 26th. Jordan won the 500 free in a time of 5:05.04 and the 1000 in a time of 10:28.05 against Duquesne on Friday during the Buffalo's first dual meet of the season. She was also a member of the winning 400 free relay that concluded the meet.

Bulls Win First Dual Meet of the Season

The Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving teams opened up the dual meet season with wins over Duquesne on Friday night at Alumni Arena. After some good beginning of the season performances at the Western New York Invitational two weeks ago, the team was looking to improve with each upcoming competition.

The women won the meet by a score of 137.5 - 75.5. The meet began with a 1-2 finish in the 400 medley relay. UB went on to win 11 of the next 12 events including wins by Jordan Deren in the 500 free and 1000 free, Caroline Simmons in the 50 free, Alie Schirmers in the 200 IM, Caitlin Reilly in the 200 back, and Meili Carpenter on both 1-meter and 3-meter.

The men's meet came down to the final relay. With the score tied at 110, the Buffalo 400 free relay team of Simon Proudfoot, Jared Heine, Matt Hogan, and Chad Miller won convincingly with a time of 3:07.69. The relay victory clinched a 123-114 win for the Bulls. Other individual event winners from Buffalo include Matt Schwippert in the 200 fly, Zach Ruske in the 200 back, Colin Patrican on 1-meter, and Kenny Rhoades on 3-meter.

Because of technical difficulties with the timing system, the offical results have not yet been posted on our website. More information will be posted after the times are reviewed. You can read the complete press release on our website:
http://www.ubathletics.buffalo.edu/swimming/

Becoming a UB Bull...Great Video!

This is a great video put together by our Communications Office. You can also find it on our website, along with videos about the other Buffalo athletic teams. There are great things happening at UB, both academically and athletically, so feel free to check it out!

UB Athletics webpage: http://www.ubathletics.buffalo.edu/ (Click on the "Become A Bull" icon in the upper right-hand corner).

UB Hosts Western New York Invite

On Saturday, Oct. 10th, we hosted the 3rd annunal Western New York Invite at the UB's Alumni Arena Natatorium. Five teams competed in the meet, all representing the Western New York region. St. Bonaventure, Binghamton, Niagara, and Canisius all joined Buffalo in the non-scoring meet.

The meet had 2 timed final sessions, with half of the events in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. The women won 12 of the 15 events including multiple event wins for sophomore Brynn Marecki, junior Jordan Deren, and senior Caitlin Reilly. On the men's side, Zach Ruske won the 200 back, while freshman Josh Meints won the 100 breast and sophomore Simon Proudfoot won the 100 free. There were many impressive swims by the Bulls, but we are looking forward to the improvements that will continue to happen as the training picks up and the team gets back into meet-mode in the upcoming weeks.

You can read more about the meet and look at the results by visiting our website:
http://www.ubathletics.buffalo.edu/swimming/news/swm10-10-2009-wnyinvite.shtml#

Coach Bashor Goes Under Again

Here is another video of Head Coach Andy Bashor getting dunked yesterday at the UB Student Union. Several of the team members were there to help with his final plunge into the tank.

Andy also made the front page of the student newspaper on Wednesday....Way to go!

Coach Bashor Gets Dunked!

With UB's Homecoming Weekend quickly approaching, there are numerous activities already going on around campus. Today's events included the UB Coaches Dunk Tank outside of the Student Union. The majority of our head coaches, and some of the assistant coaches volunteered to be dunked by anyone walking by the tank this afternoon.

Coach Andy Bashor was dunked several times, including this dunk by team captain Andrew Tamchyna. The team was there for support!

UB Implements Smoke-Free Campus Policy

The University at Buffalo administration and UB Council have announced a smoke-free policy that was implemented on August 1st. Smoking is now prohibited inside and outside of all buildings, as well as on the grounds surrounding these buildings. Beginning on August 1, 2010, all 3 Buffalo campuses will be completely smoke-free, including parking lots. UB has joined a growing number of college campus that have adopted a 100-percent smoke-free policy.

And so it begins....

Yesterday marked the start of the 2009-10 academic year and the Swimming & Diving season. The team was altogether on pool deck for the first time on Monday afternoon for a team meeting and will be in the water starting today. Even with the 17 new faces, who are lovingly referred to as the "newcomers", everyone seemed excited and eager to get to work. There will be plenty of sore muscles in the days and weeks ahead, but also big improvements both in the pool and in the weight room.

We would like to take this time to introduce the newest member of our coaching staff. James Carey has joined our staff as the graduate assistant and will be with the team for the next 2 years while he works towards this master's degree in higher education. He is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio and graduated this past June from Ohio University with a degree in recreational studies. He swam for 2 seasons at Ohio before the men's program was cut in 2007.

Our Incoming Freshmen - The Men's Side...

With the academic year beginning on Monday, we wanted to introduce our incoming freshmen on the men's side. Although we only graduated one senior from last year's team, we were looking to bring in a large class with a strong competitive background and a wealth of experience. These 8 newcomers will help add depth in a variety of areas as we continue to build on previous years' performances.

Paul Garman (Webster, NY): Swam for Webster High School and Webster Bluefins Swim Club. Paul is a 2009 New York State High School consolation finalist in the 100 free and 200 IM.

Matt Hogan (Birmingham, MI): Swam for Cranbrook High School and Birmingham "Y" Blue Dolphins. Matt is a Senior National and U.S. Open qualifier. He was the 2009 Michigan High School Division III State Champion in the 100 free and 200 IM.

Josh Meints (Oakley, CA): Swam for Freedom High School and Pleasanton Seahawks. Josh is a U.S. Open and Junior National Qualifier. He was the 2009 CIF-North Coast High School State Champion in the 200 IM and 100 breast.

Christian Muller (Pine Bush, NY): Swam for Pine Bush High School. Christian is a 2009 New York High School State Finalist in the 100 breast and a member of the NY state record-setting 200 medley relay team from Pine Bush.

Zach Rice (Mason, OH): Swam for Mason High School and the Mason Manta Rays. Zach is a Speedo Sectional qualifier and a consolation finalist in the 200 free and 500 free at the Ohio High School State Championships.

Matt Schwippert (East Aurora, NY): Swam for Iroquis High School and STAR Swimming. Matt is a Senior National and U.S. Open qualifier. He was the runner-up in the 100 back and placed 3rd in the 100 fly at the 2009 New York High School State Championships.

Ryan Smrekar (North Huntingdon,PA): Swam for Norwin High School. Ryan is Senior National and U.S. Open qualifier. He is also a 2-time Pennsylvania High School State qualifier in the sprint free events.

Cory Zorsch (Rochester, NY): Swam for Greece Athena High School and Hilton Area Swim Team. Cory is a U.S. Open and Junior National Qualifier. He placed 2nd in the 100 fly and 3rd in the 50 free at the 2009 New York High School State Championships.

It's Time to Meet Our Incoming Freshmen...The Women are First

The 2009-10 season will begin in a couple of weeks and there will be plenty of new faces on the pool deck. With only one senior graduating on the women's side from last year's roster, we know this talented group of 8 young ladies will make an immediate impact. This class brings with it plenty of experience and accomplishments as well as enthusiasm. We are ready to get started!

Danielle Adank (Maple Grove, MN): Swam for Maple Grove High School and Great Wolf Swim Team. Dani is junior national qualifier in the butterfly events. She is also multiple-time Minnesota High School State qualifier in the 100 fly & 200 free.

Erin Burke (Raleigh, NC): Swam for Leesville Road High School and YOTA Swim Team. Erin is a U.S. Open and Junior National qualifier. She placed 3rd in the 500 free and 9th in the 100 fly at the 2009 North Carolina High School State Championships. Erin is also multiple event consolation & championship finalist at the 2009 YMCA Nationals.

Logan Mason (Carmel, IN): Swam for Carmel High School and Carmel Swim Club. Logan is also a U.S. Open and Junior National qualifier. She is the 2009 Indiana High School State champion in the 200 free, as well as the 200 free and 400 free relays. Carmel High School's 200 free relay team set the National High School Record in February.

Emma Miller (Pittsford, NY): Swam for Pittsford High School and PACK Swim Team. Emma is a Speedo Sectional qualifier in the middle distance free events as well as multiple-time New York High School State qualifier in the 200 free & 500 free.

Karly Moore (West Bloomfield, MI): Swam for West Bloomfield High School and Bloomfield-Birmingham Atlantis Swim Team. Karly is a Speedo Sectional qualifier and a 2008 Michigan High School State finalist in the 100 back & 200 IM.

Katelyn Pratt-Collins (Fairfield, OH): Swam for Fairfield High School and Fairfield YMCA. Katelyn is a Speedo Sectional & YMCA National qualifier in the backstroke and IM events. She was also a consolation finalist in the 100 back & 200 IM at the 2009 Ohio High School State championships.

Caroline Simmons (Stafford, VA): Swam for Colonial Forge High School and Stafford Swim Club. Caroline is a U.S. Open and Junior National qualifier in the sprint free events. She placed 3rd in the 50 free and 100 free at the 2009 Virginia AAA High School State Championships.

Alex Swies (Beverly Hills, MI): Swam for Mercy High School and Birmingham-Bloomfield Atlantis Swim Team. Alex is a Speedo Sectional qualifier and a 2008 Michigan consolation finalist in the 100 breast & 100 fly.

Men's Swimming & Diving Update: MAC Conference

We are pleased to share some exciting news with all of you! On Monday, August 11th, the Mid-American Conference (MAC) announced that 3 affiliate members will become apart of Men's Swimming & Diving in the conference for the upcoming 2009-10 season. The University of Evansville, Southern Illinois University, and Missouri State Univerity have all signed a 6-year agreement with the MAC.

Unlike the previous affiliation with the Sunbelt Conference in which the championships were held at a neutral site in Nashville, the MAC Championships will be held on a member institution's campus. This year's championships will be hosted by Eastern Michigan University and will then alternate sites between a current MAC school (Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Ball State, and Miami) and an affiliate member (Evansville, Southern Ill., and Missouri St.). This 6-year agreement will not only produce a competitive athletic environment at the Championships, but will also provide stability for the future. Needless to say, we are looking forward to the future of Men's Swimming & Diving in the MAC!

You can read the full article on our website.

Team Introductions: Meet the Sophomores!

After a brief break from our team introductions, we are happy to present you with our 2009-10 sophomore class. These men and women began their collegiate careers at UB last fall with impressive accomplishments already to their credit but even higher goals for themselves and the team. The 2008-09 season ended with 22 school records, including 9 of the 10 relay events, and this class played a big role in that success.

Keri Chandler (Mount Joy, PA): Free; majoring in communications. Keri is a school record holder in the 800 free relay.

Brynn Marecki (Livonia, MI): Breaststroke/IM; undecided major. Brynn is the school record holder in the 100 breast & 200 breast as well as the 200 medley relay & 400 medley relays. She is a MAC champion and conference record holder as a member of the 200 medley relay. She was awarded the Top Newcomer Award at the team banquet in April.

Amanda Reall (Orlando, FL): Distance Free/Fly; majoring in business administration

Alie Schirmers (Coon Rapids, MN): Distance Free/IM/Breast; majoring in exercise science. Alie is a school record holder in the 800 free relay. She was named the Most Improved following the 2008-09 season.

Chris Berloth (Ypsilanti, MI): Fly/IM; majoring in English.

Jared Heine (Corry, PA): Sprint Free; undecided major. Jared is the school record holder in the 200 & 800 free relays as well as the 400 medley relay. He was named the Top Newcomer by the team following the season.

Chad Miller (Liverpool, NY): Sprint Free/Fly; majoring in business. Chad is the school record holder in the 200 medley and 200 free relays. He was awarded the team's Most Improved Award following the 2008-09 season.

Colin Patrican (Ithaca, NY): Diving; majoring in psychology.

Simon Proudfoot (Jacksonville, FL): Free; majoring in business administration. Simon is the school record holder in the 200 & 800 free relays.

Team Introductions: Our Junior Class

This year's women's junior class is the first to be recruited by Head Coach Andy Bashor. During their freshman year, the team jumped from a 8th place finish in 2007 at the MAC Championships to a 5th place finish in 2008, and their preformances helped make that happen. The men's team experienced a much smaller class that same season as a change of head coaches was felt during the recruiting process. These 3 men have improved tremendously over the past 2 season and we are excited to see how much more they will improve this season.

Jordan Deren (Lackawanna, NY): Distance Free; majoring in political science/pre-law. Jordan is the school record holder in the 1650 Free as well as the 400 and 800 Free Relays.

Jessie Koltz (Chenango Bridge, NY): Sprint Free/Fly; majoring in psychology. Jessie is the school recorder in the 200 and 400 Medley Relays as well as the 200 and 400 Free Relays.

Alisa Koopman (Clifton Park, NY): Distance Free/IM; majoring in business management.

Ashley Olsen (Tonawanda, NY): Free/Back; majoring in biomedical sciences. Ashley will be graduating this May, a year early, with hopes of continuing onto medical school.

Cat Scharf (New Hartford, NY): Sprint Free/Fly; majoring in psychology. Cat is the school record holder in the 200 Free Relay.

Renae Sharkey (Fords, NJ): Free/Back; majoring in exercise science. Renae will be returning this Fall following a back injury that kept her out of competition all of the 2008-09 season. We are looking forward to her return.

Sterling Gell (Lansing, NY): Sprint Free; majoring in business.

Jake Matter (East Aurora, NY): Diving; majoring in pharmacology.

Colin Wilbert (Albion, NY): Sprint Free; majoring in mathematics and computer science.

Team Introductions: Our Men's Senior Class

This year's men's senior class is no stranger to adversity. Following their freshman year, a coaching change was announced and current Head Coach Andy Bashor took over the men's program. They were immediately asked to commit to a different training philosophy and environment, and have since stepped up to the challenge. These seniors can proudly say they have had a tremendous impact on the recent success of the Swimming & Diving program at Buffalo!

Jordan Matthews (Burnt Hills, New York): Breaststroke; majoring in mechanical engineering. Jordan is a school record holder in the 200 medley and 400 medley relays.

Mike McDowell (Rush, New York): Diver; majoring in matematics. Mike is the school record holder on both 1-meter and 3-meter, and is a 2-time NCAA Division I qualifier on platform.

Zach Ruske (Superior, Colorado): Backstroke/IM; majoring in communications. Zach is the school record holder in the 200 back, 200 IM, and 400 IM as well as the 800 Free Relay. He was the 2009 MAC Champion in the 200 back.

Kevin Song (Ottawa, Ontario): Breaststroke; majoring in biomedical pharmacology.

Andrew Tamchyna (Newmarket, Ontario): Backstroke/Sprint Free; majoring in engineering physics. Andrew will be one of our team captains for 2009-10 season.

Connor Vander Zalm (Kelowna, British Columbia): Distance Free/IM; majoring in business. Connor is the school record holder in the 1000 free and 1650 free. He was the 2009 MAC Champion in the 1650. Connor will be one of our team captains for the upcoming season. He was also a captain during the 2008-09 season.

Scott Woster (North Pole, Alaska): Butterfly/IM; majoring in chemical engineering. Scott is the school record holder in the 200 Fly.

Team Introductions: Our Women's Senior Class

This year's women's senior class will be the first graduating class at Buffalo to swim their entire collegiate career under Coach Bashor. Although these women were not recruited by the current coaching staff, they were apart of the first group to fully commit and buy into the new team philosophy and goals. We are looking forward to watching them as they finish out their careers as members of the Buffalo Swimming & Diving Program!

Jessica Ballard (Hilton Head/Charleston, South Carolina): Backstroker/IMer; majoring in Fine Arts. Jessica is the school record holder in the 200 Back as well as the 200 Medley, 400 Free, and 800 Free Relays.

Meili Carpenter (Boulder, Colorado): Diver. Meili graduated with her undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Psychology after just 3 years. She will begin graduate school this fall in Education. Meili is the school record holder on both 1-meter and 3-meter, and is a 2-time NCAA Division I qualifier on Platform.

Kim Dale (Raleigh, North Carolina): Distance Free/IM; majoring in nursing. Kim was one of our co-captains during the 2008-09 season.

Emily Day (Speedway, Indiana): Middle Distance Free/Fly; majoring in business/marketing.

Sam Eckert (Eden, NY): Butterfly; majoring in hearing and speech sciences. Sam is a school record holder in the 200 Medley and 200 Free Relays.

Ursula Jeske (Rothschilld, WI): Diver; majoring in exercise science.

Sam Palma (Lancaster, NY): Sprint Free/Fly; majoring in history. Sam is a school record holder in the 200 and 400 Free Relays.

Laura Powalski (Williamsville, NY): Sprint Free/Back; majoring in business. Laura will be one of our co-captains this season. She was also a co-captain during the 2008-09 season.

Caitlin Reilly (Brockville, Ontario): Backstroke; majoring in international studies. Caitlin will be one of our co-captains this season.

Ashley Schaffert (Lockport, NY): Breaststroke/IM; majoring in graphic design. She is a former school record holder in the 200 and 400 Medley Relays.

Meet the Coaches - Asst. Coach Courtney Kostival

Assistant Coach Courtney Kostival will begin her 4th season with the Buffalo Swimming & Diving program this fall. As the primary coach for the distance group, Courtney uses her experiences as a collegiate swimmer, both in and out of the water, to motivate the team to succeed beyond their own expectations. This past season, 2 Buffalo swimmers broke the school records in the 1650 free - 2 of the oldest records remaining in the program's history. The previous women's team record was set in 2000, while the men's record was set in 1995!

While swimming at Ohio University, Courtney focused on the distance freestyle events, specifically the 500 and the 1650. She began her collegiate career as a walk-on, in the truest meaning of the word, and graduated as a conference finalist in both of these events. It was a journey that she is very proud of and wouldn't change for any other.

After finishing her eligibility at Ohio in 2004, Courtney continued to work with the college team as a graduate assistant coach while earning her master's degree in Coaching Education. Her primary coaching responsibilities involved working with the distance group, including many of her former teammates. Courtney's move to Buffalo took place shortly after finishing grad school in the spring of 2006.

Meet the Coaches - Diving Coach Karla Helder

Head Diving Coach Karla Helder will be entering her 6th season with the Bulls this fall. Since joining the Swimming & Diving staff in 2004, Karla has guided the diving program to new heights. Current Buffalo divers Meili Carpenter and Mike McDowell have rewritten the record books in both the 1-meter and 3-meter events on their way to qualifying for the NCAA Division I National Champions the past 2 seasons. Meili is UB's first participant at the Women's Division I Championships while Mike become only the second in the history of the Men's program.

Prior to taking over the diving program at Buffalo, Karla spent 9 seasons at UC-Davis, and time at both Chico State and Clemson University. While at UC-Davis, she coached 4 Division II national champions to 4 separate titles and 36 All-Americans. She was also named PCSC Men's Diving Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2003, and the Women's Diving Coach of the Year award in 2001.

Karla dove collegiately for Chico State University and was a 2-time NCAA Division II National Champion on 3-meter. She was inducted into Chico State's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. She has also earned 30 National diving titles during her career, including several over the past 2 seasons at the Master's National Championships. In May of 2008, Karla traveled to Perth, Australia to compete at the World Master's Diving Championships. She won broke both the 1-meter and 3-meter world records in her age group (50-54) on her way to winning 2 gold medals. In 2006, she set the world record for the 45-49 age group on 1-meter.

Meet the Coaches - Assistant Coach Aaron Bell

Assistant Coach Aaron Bell will be entering his 3rd season with the UB Swimming & Diving program this fall. As the primary group coach for the middle distance group, Aaron has brought a new level of excitement and enthusiasm to the program. As a collegiate swimmer at Clarion University, he was a 20-time NCAA Division II All-American, specializing in the backstroke and freestyle events. He uses the experience as a very successful swimmer to motivate and guide the team to move up the conference ranks. Since joining the coaching staff in 2007, Aaron has been instrumental in guiding many of Buffalo's current swimmers to school records in both individual and relay events.

Prior to coming to Buffalo, Aaron spent time coaching at Ohio University and the University of Miami (FL). As a graduate assistant coach at Ohio, he worked with both the middle distance and distance groups, and was actively involved in recruiting for both the men's & women's teams.

Aaron and his fiancee, Courtney Gould, will be getting married tomorrow, Friday, July 10th. Congratulations to Aaron & Courtney!!!

Meet the Coaches - Head Coach Andy Bashor

Head Coach Andy Bashor will begin his 4th season as the head coach of the Women's team and his 3rd season with the Men's team this Fall. Since taking over the Women's Swimming & Diving program in 2006, the Bulls have rewritten the record books and made their mark on the Mid-American Conference. The women's team jumped from 8th place to 5th at the 2008 MAC Championships. At this year's championships, the women broke 10 school records, including all 5 relays, and shocked the conference by winning the 200 Medley Relay in a Conference Record time of 1:39.74! We placed 8th in the same event just 2 years ago. . .what a difference 2 years can make!

The Men's program has made some very impressive improvements of their own over the past 2 seasons under Coach Bashor's direction. During the 2008-09 season, UB had 3 conference champions (Zach Ruske - 200 back, Connor Vander Zalm - 1650 free, Jake Sangren - 100 back) and placed 5 athletes on the All-MAC 1st Team - the most in school history. A total of 12 school records were broken throughout the season, including 4 of the 5 relays!

Andy came to Buffalo after spending 4 seasons at Rutgers University as the Head Assistant Coach. During the 2006 season, he helped lead 7 women to the NCAA Champions where the team placed 18th. Prior to his time at Rutgers, Andy spent 4 seasons as the Head Assistant at UC-Santa Barbara where he worked directly with the sprinters and breaststrokers. His coaching career started at Ohio University where he was the graduate assistant for 2 seasons.

Andy swam collegiately at North Caroline State University, specializing in sprint free and fly. He was a team captain during his senior year. He graduated with a degree in biology in 1996.

Andy lives in Lancaster, NY with his wife Brandi and their 3 children, Allie (6), Bobby (4), and Colby (2). . .see picture above!

Swimmers & Divers Earn Academic Honors

The College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) announced its Scholar Athlete Awards this week. The Buffalo Women's Team earned All-American status by achieving a 3.34 team GPA for the spring semester. The Men's Team also earned All-American status with its 3.11 team GPA. Teams with a 3.0 GPA or higher were recognized by the CSCAA.

Juniors Mike McDowell and Meili Carpenter were named Academic All-Americans for the second consecutive season. To be selected to the All-American team, individuals had to qualify for the NCAA Championships and achieve a 3.5 GPA or higher for the semester or have a cumluative GPA above a 3.5. Both Mike and Meili competed on Platform at the Championships.

The Women's Team also had 3 individuals named to the Honorable Mention All-American team. Sophomore Jessie Koltz and Juniors Jessica Ballard & Sam Eckert achieved a GPA above a 3.5 for the spring semester. Honorable Mention selections had to acheive a NCAA "B" cut (consideration time) and a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Jessie, Jessica, and Sam were all members of our MAC record setting 200 Medley Relay team.

Great work Bulls!!!

Welcome to Buffalo Swimming & Diving

Welcome to the University at Buffalo Swimming & Diving blog! We want to wish sophomore Brynn Marecki good luck at the World Championship Trials next week in Indianapolis. Brynn is coming off of a breakout freshman year in which she was a member of the conference championship 200 medley relay as well as a finalist in the 100 and 200 breast.

We are looking forward to pass along more information about Swimming & Diving program in the future. Have a Happy 4th of July!

GO BULLS!