Swimming & Diving Season Preview

STATESBORO, Ga. – The beginning of every season sparks optimism and new challenges and this season will be no different for the Georgia Southern swimming & diving program.

The Eagles will have a new look this year as they officially christen their new facility, the pristine Aquatic Center at the Recreation Activity Center (RAC), when they host Southeastern Conference opponent Vanderbilt at noon on Saturday, October 20. The matchup against the Commodores marks the first meeting between the two schools in program’s history.

“It’s always nice to say that you train in a brand new facility,’ said GSU head swimming & diving coach Nathan Kellogg. “It has certainly brought a tremendous amount of excitement and energy to workouts, recruiting, and scheduling home meets.”

The new look surrounding the Georgia Southern swimming & diving program doesn’t end with the new Aquatics Center. In July, the Southern Conference along with the Atlantic Sun, Big South and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conferences announced the formation of a new Division I swimming and diving conference – named the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA) – beginning competition this fall.

The CCSA was established through the cooperative efforts of the coaches, administrators and commissioners of the four member conferences and has received approval from the NCAA for membership as a Division I conference.

“The best thing about the formation of the conference is that it is very deep, which will bring a lot of exposure to both the conference and Georgia Southern swimming & diving program,” said Kellogg.

Last season under Kellogg, the Eagles recorded a 6-5 overall record to go along with a program best second-place finish at the Northeastern Conference Championships. Georgia Southern will use last year’s success and this year’s senior leadership as they look to build on where they left off.

“We have a fairly large senior class, which we have not had in a while,” said Kellogg. “The five seniors have been the glue of this team since they were freshmen.”

In the Pool:

The road to a championship won’t be easy for the Eagles, but they’re ready for the challenge. Last year’s squad broke two school records and this year’s squad is hungry for more. Seniors Amanda Gerdeman (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Jennifer Clayton (Marietta, Ga.) teamed with junior Katelyn Woolfolk (Satellite Beach, Fla.) and sophomore Courtney Martz (Woodbine, Ga.) turned into a scary combination as the four set the 200 free relay record with a time of 1:36.50. All four return as they look to re-set their own mark. Also returning for the Eagles is Heather Jones (Macon, Ga.). Jones set the school record in the 1650 free coming in at 17:42.87.

The Eagles look to be very competitive in the pool. In fact, 11 members of the swimming and diving program were selected to the All-NEC Team for their accomplishments. The bulk of that group returns with the loss of just two seniors: Kelli King and Ali Lota.

Seniors Kimberly Morris (Lawrenceville, Ga.), Britney Simons (Cumming, Ga.), Jenna Tennant (Marietta, Ga.), Gerdeman and Clayton will add a ton of depth and provide ample leadership this year. Morris was named to the All-NEC team for her performance in the 200y Breast.

The depth on the roster abounds, which will surely aide Georgia Southern against what looks to be a highly competitive CCSA as well as a grueling non-conference schedule. Sophomore Mackenzie Garrot will be looked upon to have an even greater impact in her second season. Garrot received All-NEC honors for both the 100y and 200y Breast in her freshman season. She was also named the Outstanding Rookie of the Meet at the conference championships. The Fayetteville, Ga. native titled in five of six 100y Breast events throughout the season and every 200y Breast event in which she competed, including the conference crown (2:22.30).

“Overall, we have a very deep team,” said Kellogg. “We definitely have something special in this group of young ladies and I’m excited to see just how successful we will be this season.”

Making a Splash:

Georgia Southern head diving coach Mindy Czech is coming off a season in which she was named 2007 NEC Diving Coach of the Year. Both of Czech’s diver’s juniors Katie Creighton (Snellville, Ga.) and Nicole Hutchison (Kennesaw, Ga.) return after stellar performances in 2006-2007. Hutchison received all-conference recognition for both the 1-meter and 3-meter Dives and Creighton was named to the All-NEC list in the 3-meter event. Hutchison, the conference champion in the 3-meter dive, looks to give guidance as does Creighton to newcomers Cassandra Smith (Cartersville, Ga.) and Steffi Sheckler (Umatilla, Fla.) who will strengthen and add depth to an already strong diving team. Both Creighton and Hutchison picked up NEC Diver of the Week honors in 2006-2007 and look to make their junior campaigns a memorable one.

Category: Swimming & Diving

Published on Tuesday, 09 October 2007 00:10